Thread by @AbundantHousing

We Still Here (day 15 of 28)

The queen of neo soul, Erykah Badu, was born Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971. She was raised by a single mother in #Dallas, #Texas. 1/

#BHM #HERstory #ShareBlackStories #threadstorytime

Badu started her training in the arts at age 4 and was a cast member at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in her youth. By 14, she was freestyling for a local radio station. 2/

Believing her original name was a “slave name”, Badu decided to spell it as “Erykah” early in life, incorporating the term “kah” which means “inner self”. Her adopted surname, “Badu”, refers to the 10th born child in the native language of Akan people from Ghana. 3/

Badu pursued a degree in theater at the historically Black Grambling State University, but left before graduating to fully focus on music. To support herself, she took several jobs including teaching dance and drama to kids at the South Dallas Cultural Center. 4/

During this time, Badu recorded a 19-song demo, “Country Cousins”, which led to her being discovered by record executive Kedar Massenburg, who termed Badu’s distinct style as Neo Soul. 5/

Badu was influenced by R&B, 1970s soul, and 1980s hip hop. Her Afro-centric artistry made her one of the most recognizable icons. 6/

#blackexcellence

With a voice reminiscent of Billie Holiday, Badu uses her music to articulate a wide range of themes including institutional racism, love, religion, poverty, urban violence, and cultural identity. 7/

She drew inspirations widely, from her beliefs in the Nation of Gods and Earths, her African heritage, to her roots in the American South. 8/

Badu’s hometown Dallas and its surrounding area is home to a large middle-upper class Black community today and has a proud history of barrier-breaking Black achievements. 9/

However, not too long ago between the late 1800s to as recent as 1922, brutal assaults at the hands of whites, including several lynchings, took place throughout the region. In the era of Jim Crow, Blacks were offered poor access to public services. 10/

Despite being denied many opportunities, Black talents including physicians, surgeons, and entrepreneurs thrived in the region. In recent years, large inward migration into the Dallas metro made it the 2nd-largest Black community west of Mississippi River. 11/

We embody where we come from and the places we live. We are our history. And we still here.

Artwork provided courtesy of Greg Edwards @GregtheGrouch.

@ApaPbcd @SoCalNOMA

#BlackHistoryMonth #Art #History #Inspiration #Housing #DopeBlackArt #ShareBlackStories #BlackExcellence

If you would like to bid on a 24 x 36 version of today's artwork or any piece that we have/will be sharing, please head over to app.galabid.com/abundanthousing. Greg is generously donating all proceeds to our work de-segregating Los Angeles. Thank you!