On April 29, Spelman College welcomed Grammy award-winning musician Corinne Bailey Rae and MacArthur award-winning artist Amanda Williams to campus to celebrate the launch of Williams’s book, “What Black Is This, You Say.”
“What Black Is This, You Say” delves deeper into Williams’s critically acclaimed public art installation of the same name. In her book, Williams, who currently has an exhibition titled “We Say What Black This Is” on display in the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, includes essays, poems and reflections by her peers in conversation with her installation. Bailey Rae, a long-time friend of Williams, contributed a description that reflects on the Stevie Wonder-inspired artwork in Williams’s exhibition.
Earlier in the day, Bailey Rae attended Spelman’s Advanced Contemporary Modern Dance class’s final showcase, which was developed using her album, “Black Rainbows.” The class, taught by Spelman lecturer Lyrric Jackson, had the unique opportunity to share their own artistry and choreography with the musician.
During the fireside chat, Bailey Rae highlighted her visit to the class and acknowledged the significance of Spelman as the premier institution for women of African descent.
This is my second time speaking at Spelman, and I feel a deep connection to this place,” said Bailey Rae. “It’s an academic space, an all-Black space, a female space — something I never experienced during my own education, where I was often the only Black student and had no Black professors.
The two influential artists discussed their respective creative disciplines and the ways they each approach artistic creation, offering students the opportunity to engage with their praxis and ask insightful questions about their artwork. During the Q+A, first-year student and economics major Adria Weaver asked for advice on how the younger generation of artists can find their passion and remain authentic within it.
“Your generation has been dealt a bad hand. We have handed a lot of horribleness to you all. Ultimately, it’s your world to reform.” said Williams in response. “There’s no way to transcend hard work, you just have to do the work.”