Black Artists and Appropriation

Black Arts and Artists in Wisconsin

Black Arts MKE
Black Arts MKE is an non-profit organization that works with local artists and arts organizations to bring renowned and original performance artworks by African American authors, playwrights, poets, musicians, and composers to the community.

Black Arts Matter Festival
The Black Arts Matter Festival, founded in Madison in 2019, celebrates Black art and artists with public events.

Black Art Fest MKE
This Milwaukee festival, held at the Summerfest grounds, honors African and African American culture and heritage with musical performances, food, and local art.

Hip-Hop U: The First Wave Scholars
A PBS Wisconsin documentary exploring the innovative work of students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison First Wave program.

Looking for Black Artists? We Are Here
In this 2020 Op-Ed article published by Urban Milwaukee, artist Della Wells challenges people to become more aware of  local African American artists’ work by sharing a list of Milwaukee’s many and varied artists.

State Street Mural Project
PBS Wisconsin explores the State Street Mural Project where artists, including Black and POC artists, created 70 commissioned murals conveying urgent demands for change and inspiring community dialogue.

11 Black Madison Artists To Follow On Instagram
Following the State Street mural project, Channel 3000 shares their list of 11 Black Madison-based artists to follow on Instagram.

Resources on the History of Hip-Hop

God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women In Hip-Hop
Author Kathy Iandoli pays tribute to the women of hip-hop—from the early work of Roxanne Shante, to hitmakers like Queen Latifah and Missy Elliot, to the superstars of today. Exploring issues of gender, money, sexuality, violence, body image, feuds, objectification and more.

Cornell Hip-Hop Collection
Established in 2007, the Cornell Hip-Hop Collection preserves more than 250,000 items across dozens of archives documenting the origins of hip-hop culture and its spread around the globe.

Fresh Air’s “The History of Hip-Hop” Collection
NPR’s Fresh Air features a collection of interviews with some of the greatest names in hip-hop history.

Hip-Hop : Beyond Beats & Rhymes
This Independent Lens documentary takes an in-depth look at masculinity in hip-hop culture where creative genius, poetic beauty, and mad beats collide with misogyny, violence and homophobia. 

Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop 
This book takes readers on a chronological journey from old-school to alternative hip-hop and from analog to digital photography. Featuring rare outtakes from over 100 photoshoots alongside interviews and essays from industry legends.