Institute for Advanced Study and Northrop Present
Drumfolk and the Stono Rebellion
Spotlight Series
Past event
Oct 11, 2023
Captioning
When the Stono Rebellion cost Africans the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people—the Drumfolk. This conversation between the founder of Step Afrika! and an expert in anti-colonial and Black political thought, moderated by acclaimed hip-hop artist and drummer Truth Maze, explores the Stono Rebellion of 1739, South Carolina’s Negro Act which followed in 1740, and the historic and artistic implications of percussion as an embodied practice in the American South.
C. Brian Williams, Founder and Executive Producer of Step Afrika!
Moderated by Truth Maze: hip hop and spoken word artist, traditional drummer, and educator
About the Panelists
C. Brian Williams is a graduate of Howard University and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Beta Chapter. After living in Africa, he began to research stepping, exploring the many sides of this exciting, yet under-recognized American art form and founded Step Afrika! in 1994. Williams has performed, lectured and taught in Europe, South and Central America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. He is a founder of the historic Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. Brian was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2022.
Truth Maze (aka William Harris) was born with a strong rhythmic sense, making him a natural drummer. Known as ‘The Unstoppable B-Fresh’, William became part of the groundbreaking I.R.M. Crew, one of the first hip-hop groups out of the Twin Cities to attain national accolades, thus cementing his place as an icon in the Minnesota music scene. With 2000+ shows under his belt, this drummer, poet, beat boxer, hip- hop scholar, and youth mentor has recorded & performed internationally, and has been compared to Gil Scott Heron, Saul Williams and KRS-One. Blending his vocal arts with instruction and theater, Truth Maze balances his love for music with his love for his community working with numerous youth and community organizations. His art is his passion, activism, and spirit.
