The Organization of Black American Culture (OBA-C) (pronounced Oh-bah-see[1]) was conceived during the era of the Civil Rights Movement by Hoyt W. Fuller as a collective of African-American writers, artists, historians, educators, intellectuals, community activists, and others. The group was originally known as Committee for the Arts (CFA), which formed in February 1967 in Southside Chicago, Illinois. By May 1967, the group became OBAC and included Black intellectuals Hoyt W. Fuller (editor of Negro Digest), the poet Conrad Kent Rivers, and Gerald McWorter (later Abdul Alkalimat).[2] OBAC aimed to coordinate artistic support in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality of opportunity for African Americans. The organization had workshops for visual arts, drama, and writing, and produced two publications: a newsletter, Cumbaya, and the magazine Nommo.[2]
As noted in Jonathan Fenderson's book Building the Black Arts Movement: Hoyt Fuller and the Cultural Politics, it was in the winter of 1966, when Hoyt W. Fuller, Gerald McWorter (later Abdul Alkalimat), and Conrad Kent Rivers began meeting and "reading books, debating concepts, exchanging ideas" at Fuller's Lake Meadow apartment at 3001 South Parkway Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. From these meetings, the members formed Committee for the Arts (CFA).[3]
As recalled by Ann (McNeil) Smith, who would become director of OBAC Drama Workshop, it was not until a meeting in her and Duke McNeil's apartment in the fall of 1967 that Jeff Donaldson suggested that the group change its name to Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC). According to Fuller, OBAC, pronounced o-ba-see, was meant to "echo the yoruba word oba, denoting loyalty and leadership". The name, an acronym OBAC, chosen by Jeff Donaldson, was inspired by the Yoruba word Oba, meaning chief or leader.[4] Some of their initial public gatherings were hosted by Margaret Burroughs at the South Side Community Art Center.[3]
OBAC members and governanceEdit
Members and governance of OBA-C during its inauguration were: Gerald McWorter, chairman; Hoyt W. Fuller, vice chairman; Joseph R. Simpson, secretary, Ernest (Duke) McNeil, treasurer; Jeff R. Donaldson; George R. Ricks; Donald H. Smith; Ronald C. Dunham; Bennett J. Johnson and Conrad Kent Rivers, all of whom were part of the Executive Council.[1]
Founding purpose and missionEdit
As reflected in the organization's documents, OBA-C's purpose and mission were:[1]
To work toward the ultimate goal of bringing the Black Community indigenous art forms which reflect and clarify the Black Experience in America;
To reflect the richness and depth and variety of Black History and Culture;
To provide the Black Community with a positive self image of itself, its history, its achievements, and its possibility for creativity.
Dr. Ann Smith, then Anne McNeil, wife of OBAC treasurer Ernest Duke McNeil, founded OBAC's drama workshop with the support of actors Bill Eaves, Len Jones, Harold Lee, Clarence Taylor.[6] OBAC Drama Workshop eventually led to the first black theater in Chicago, Kuumba Theater.
As noted in the Negro Digest, a key question posed to all its workshop artists wasffender: "Do you consider yourself a Black Artist, or an American Artist who happens to be black?"[1][10]
After the visual arts and the drama workshops closed, OBAC became solely a writers' workshop within a couple of years, and continued in that form until 1992, surviving longer than any other literary group of the Black Arts Movement that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s.[2] As S. Brandi Barnes, former treasurer and subsequently director of OBAC-Writers Workshop, wrote in 2010:
By the mid-1990s, the writers workshop closed its doors – for a while.
Former OBAC member and adjunct professor Collette Armstead returned to Chicago in 2004. She convinced Angela Jackson of the need to revive the workshop. ...
We have always been an organization built by committed volunteers, intellectuals, artists, writers, and community denizens—all of whom have held other day jobs. They blazed the trail, solidifying our place in the literary archives and canon of Chicago and America.
... OBAC-WW has been reconstructed to continue our advocacy for all writers, and in particular for African-American writers. Part of our future plans include involving younger generations, so that tradition and new creations will continue.[11]
BibliographyEdit
NOMMO: A Literary Legacy of Black Chicago (1987), edited by Carol A. Parks.
^"Report on Theater". Negro Digest. 18 (6): 70. April 1969.
^Timeline, Perceptions of Black, University of Virginia.
^Jeff Donaldson, "The Rise, Fall and Legacy of the Wall of Respect Movement", in International Review of African American Art, vol. 15, no. 1 (1991), pp. 22–26.
^S. Brandi Barnes, "The Torch Is Lit: The Organization of Black American Culture, Past and Present", Chicago Artists Resource, Spring 2010.
October 22, 2023
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The Organization of Black American Culture OBA C pronounced Oh bah see 1 was conceived during the era of the Civil Rights Movement by Hoyt W Fuller as a collective of African American writers artists historians educators intellectuals community activists and others The group was originally known as Committee for the Arts CFA which formed in February 1967 in Southside Chicago Illinois By May 1967 the group became OBAC and included Black intellectuals Hoyt W Fuller editor of Negro Digest the poet Conrad Kent Rivers and Gerald McWorter later Abdul Alkalimat 2 OBAC aimed to coordinate artistic support in the struggle for freedom justice and equality of opportunity for African Americans The organization had workshops for visual arts drama and writing and produced two publications a newsletter Cumbaya and the magazine Nommo 2 Contents 1 Background 2 OBAC members and governance 3 Founding purpose and mission 4 OBAC workshops 4 1 Writers Workshop 4 2 Drama Workshop 4 3 Visual Arts Workshop 5 Participating artists 5 1 Actors and directors 5 2 Artists 5 3 Poets and writers 5 4 Musicians 6 Dissolution and evolution 7 Bibliography 8 See also 9 ReferencesBackground EditAs noted in Jonathan Fenderson s book Building the Black Arts Movement Hoyt Fuller and the Cultural Politics it was in the winter of 1966 when Hoyt W Fuller Gerald McWorter later Abdul Alkalimat and Conrad Kent Rivers began meeting and reading books debating concepts exchanging ideas at Fuller s Lake Meadow apartment at 3001 South Parkway Avenue Chicago Illinois From these meetings the members formed Committee for the Arts CFA 3 As recalled by Ann McNeil Smith who would become director of OBAC Drama Workshop it was not until a meeting in her and Duke McNeil s apartment in the fall of 1967 that Jeff Donaldson suggested that the group change its name to Organization of Black American Culture OBAC According to Fuller OBAC pronounced o ba see was meant to echo the yoruba word oba denoting loyalty and leadership The name an acronym OBAC chosen by Jeff Donaldson was inspired by the Yoruba word Oba meaning chief or leader 4 Some of their initial public gatherings were hosted by Margaret Burroughs at the South Side Community Art Center 3 OBAC members and governance EditMembers and governance of OBA C during its inauguration were Gerald McWorter chairman Hoyt W Fuller vice chairman Joseph R Simpson secretary Ernest Duke McNeil treasurer Jeff R Donaldson George R Ricks Donald H Smith Ronald C Dunham Bennett J Johnson and Conrad Kent Rivers all of whom were part of the Executive Council 1 Founding purpose and mission EditAs reflected in the organization s documents OBA C s purpose and mission were 1 To work toward the ultimate goal of bringing the Black Community indigenous art forms which reflect and clarify the Black Experience in America To reflect the richness and depth and variety of Black History and Culture To provide the Black Community with a positive self image of itself its history its achievements and its possibility for creativity OBAC workshops EditWriters Workshop Edit Among those associated at various times with the OBAC Writers Workshop are founding member Don L Lee now Haki Madhubuti Carolyn Rodgers Angela Jackson Sterling Plumpp Sam Greenlee Nikki Giovanni Sonia Sanchez Johari Amini D L Crockett Smith Cecil Brown Sandra Jackson Opoku and other writers of national stature 2 5 Drama Workshop Edit Dr Ann Smith then Anne McNeil wife of OBAC treasurer Ernest Duke McNeil founded OBAC s drama workshop with the support of actors Bill Eaves Len Jones Harold Lee Clarence Taylor 6 OBAC Drama Workshop eventually led to the first black theater in Chicago Kuumba Theater Visual Arts Workshop Edit In 1967 members of the OBAC s visual arts workshop produced Wall of Respect a mural dedicated to African American heroes such as Muhammad Ali W E B Du Bois and Malcolm X 7 The artists involved in the mural project included William Walker Wadsworth Jarrell and Jeff Donaldson who has written of the collective s determination to produce a collaborative work as a contribution to the community 8 Donaldson went on to found the Coalition of Black Revolutionary Artists COBRA later renamed the African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists AfriCOBRA 9 in support of Pan Africanism Participating artists EditAs noted in the Negro Digest a key question posed to all its workshop artists wasffender Do you consider yourself a Black Artist or an American Artist who happens to be black 1 10 Actors and directors Edit Bill Eaves Len Jones Harold Lee Clarence TaylorArtists Edit Jeff Donaldson Wadsworth Jarrell William WalkerPoets and writers Edit Johari Amini Cecil Brown D L Crockett Smith Nikki Giovanni Sam Greenlee Angela Jackson Sandra Jackson Opoku Don L Lee now Haki Madhubuti David Moore Useni Eugene Perkins Sterling Plumpp Carolyn Rodgers Sonia SanchezMusicians Edit George R RicksDissolution and evolution EditAfter the visual arts and the drama workshops closed OBAC became solely a writers workshop within a couple of years and continued in that form until 1992 surviving longer than any other literary group of the Black Arts Movement that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s 2 As S Brandi Barnes former treasurer and subsequently director of OBAC Writers Workshop wrote in 2010 By the mid 1990s the writers workshop closed its doors for a while Former OBAC member and adjunct professor Collette Armstead returned to Chicago in 2004 She convinced Angela Jackson of the need to revive the workshop We have always been an organization built by committed volunteers intellectuals artists writers and community denizens all of whom have held other day jobs They blazed the trail solidifying our place in the literary archives and canon of Chicago and America OBAC WW has been reconstructed to continue our advocacy for all writers and in particular for African American writers Part of our future plans include involving younger generations so that tradition and new creations will continue 11 Bibliography EditNOMMO A Literary Legacy of Black Chicago 1987 edited by Carol A Parks NOMMO2 Remembering Ourselves WholeSee also EditAfriCOBRA Black Arts MovementReferences Edit a b c d Culture Conscious in Chicago Negro Digest 16 10 85 87 August 1967 a b c d OBAC Writers Workshop Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History Encyclopedia com a b Fenderson Jonathan Building the Black Arts movement Hoyt Fuller and the cultural politics of the 1960s ISBN 9780252051272 OCLC 1097184100 Jackson Angela 2021 12 02 From A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun by Angela Jackson Poetry June 2017 ed Black Arts Interactive Report on Theater Negro Digest 18 6 70 April 1969 Timeline Perceptions of Black University of Virginia Jeff Donaldson The Rise Fall and Legacy of the Wall of Respect Movement in International Review of African American Art vol 15 no 1 1991 pp 22 26 AfriCOBRA website Zorach Rebecca 2019 Art for People s Sake Artists and Community in Black Chicago 1965 1975 Duke University Press ISBN 9781478002468 S Brandi Barnes The Torch Is Lit The Organization of Black American Culture Past and Present Chicago Artists Resource Spring 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Organization of Black American Culture amp oldid 1162711140, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
