Daphne A. Brooks, Yale University (New Haven) professor of African American Studies, American Studies. Theatre Studies, Womens Gender and Sexuality Studies at Yale. “Blackstar Rising & The Purple Reign: Celebrating the Legacies of David Bowie and Prince,” is a multi-day symposium to explore the careers of two singular musicians who changed the face of popular music culture in the second half of the 20th century. The program will bring together scholars, musicians, filmmakers, artists, journalists, and students for discussion, critical listening, and musical performances that explore ways in which popular music can create liberating spaces where audacious cultural and social changes and transformations might flourish.
