Thursday, June 30, 2022
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Career
  • Contact
Clipped Reports
  • News
    • World
    • Politics
    • Africa
    • Opinion
  • Business
    • Companies
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Careers
    • Economy
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity News
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • Food and Drink
    • Health
    • Style and Beauty
    • Family
    • Competitions
    • Love and Sex
  • Sports
    • Soccer
    • Athletics
    • Boxing
    • Rugby
    • Tennis
  • Technology
    • Mobile
    • Fintech
    • Gadgets
    • Gaming
No Result
View All Result
Clipped Reports
Home Culture

The Nigerian drummer who set the beat for US civil rights

BBC Africa

ClippedReports by ClippedReports
September 3, 2020
in Africa, Featured, Lifestyle, News, Opinion
0
The Nigerian drummer who set the beat for US civil rights
0
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Three years before Rosa Parks’ bus boycott, Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji protested against racial segregation in the southern states of America. He was part of a generation of Africans who played an important role in the fight for racial justice in the US – and continue to do so, writes the BBC’s Aaron Akinyemi.

“The leaders in the 50s and 60s provide me with a great deal of inspiration,” Nigerian-American activist Opal Tometi, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, told the BBC.

Related posts

OWO TERROR ATTACK: 80 PERSONS INVOLVED, 22 DEAD, 56 ON ADMISSION -GOV AKEREDOLU

OWO TERROR ATTACK: 80 PERSONS INVOLVED, 22 DEAD, 56 ON ADMISSION -GOV AKEREDOLU

June 8, 2022
Lagos okadas: Nigeria crushes 2,000 motorcycle taxis

Lagos okadas: Nigeria crushes 2,000 motorcycle taxis

June 4, 2022

When Martin Luther King Jr delivered his historic I Have a Dream speech during the March on Washington 57 years ago, around 250,000 people attended the event, including prominent figures such James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier.

Among the guests was perhaps a slightly more unexpected figure – Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji.

Born in 1927 to a Yoruba family in Lagos state, Olatunji won a scholarship to study at Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1950.

He became a pioneering drummer, releasing 17 studio albums, including his 1959 debut Drums of Passion, widely credited with helping to introduce the West to “world music”.

Quote box. Babatunde Olatunji: "We started the protest quietly... We were part and parcel of the struggle for freedom in the early 1950s"

Despite Olatunji’s enduring musical legacy, which includes a Grammy nomination and compositions for Broadway and Hollywood, his civil rights advocacy is less well known.

“He was committed to social activism throughout his life,” says Robert Atkinson, who collaborated with Olatunji on his autobiography The Beat of My Drum, which was published in 2005, two years after his death.

“He really deserves to be remembered more for his role as a political activist in the US civil rights movement – before it was even a movement.”

Pride in African culture

As a Morehouse student, Olatunji encountered ignorance and stereotypes about Africa and strove to educate his fellow students about the continent’s music and cultural traditions.

He started playing African music at university social gatherings and gave drumming demonstrations at both black and white churches across Atlanta.

Wedding of Ammiebelle Bush to Babatunde Olatunji in 1957
Image captionBabatunde Olatunji moved to the US in 1950 to study and married Ammiebelle Bush in 1957

“Baba sparked a deep sense of pride among African Americans by strongly promoting images of African culture, which in a subtle but significant way, helped set in motion the currents of the early civil rights movement,” Atkinson says.

At a time of state-sanctioned racial segregation in the US, Olatunji quickly became acutely aware of racism, and began organising students to challenge so-called “Jim Crow” laws in the south.

In 1952, three years before Rosa Parks helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama, Olatunji staged his own protests on public buses in the south.

On one occasion, he and a group of students boarded a racially segregated bus in Atlanta wearing traditional African clothes and were allowed to sit anywhere they wanted because they were not identified as African Americans, who had to sit at the back.

Quote box. Iyafin Ammiebelle Olatunji: "He saw himself as a pan-Africanist who always reached out to unify Africans and African Americans"

The next day, they boarded the same bus in their Western clothing and refused to sit in the back when ordered to do so by the bus driver. Olatunji and his friends continued to challenge segregation in this way despite the threat of prison.

“We started the protest quietly,” he later recalled of the incident. “We were part and parcel of the struggle for freedom in the early 1950s.”

Meeting Martin Luther King and Malcolm X

Olatunji’s widow, 89-year-old Iyafin Ammiebelle Olatunji, told the BBC that he was called in to “ease the tensions in various communities”, such as during the aftermath in 1965 of deadly riots in the predominately black neighbourhood of Watts in Los Angeles.

“He saw himself as a pan-Africanist who always reached out to unify Africans and African Americans,” she said.

L-R: Babatunde Olatunji and Malcolm X at an event in Harlem, New York, the US - 1 October 1960
Image captionBabatunde Olatunji attending an event in Harlem with Malcolm X to mark Nigeria’s independence from the UK on 1 October 1960

Olatunji became a president of the Morehouse student body, which led to him meeting many early civil rights leaders in the 1950s, including Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X.

His involvement in the US civil rights movement was strongly inspired by the wave of anti-colonial resistance movements sweeping across Africa during the 1950s and 1960s – of which he was a part.

In 1958, he travelled to Accra to attend the All African People’s Conference organised by Ghana’s independence leader Kwame Nkrumah.

The conference brought together leading independence figures and delegates from 28 African countries and colonies to strategise their opposition to European colonialisation.

It was also attended by influential African Americans such as Claude Barnett, founder of the Chicago-based Associated Negro Press, and Alphaeus Hunton, then secretary of the Council of African Affairs.

Professor Louis Chude-Sokei, director of African-American studies at Boston University, says there was an intellectual and social exchange between Africans and African Americans, some of whom were inspired by newly independent African states such as Ghana and Nigeria.

“Given that shared context of race and racial struggle, by the time we get to the civil rights movement, it’s not strange that African Americans and Africans are interacting culturally around issues of freedom and liberation,” he told the BBC.

Colonisation and segregation

In 1957, Martin Luther King Jr was invited to Ghana’s first independence day celebrations, and met Nkrumah. The meeting had a profound effect on King, who drew inspiration from Ghana’s anti-colonial struggle.

“Ghana has something to say to us,” King said in his first sermon upon returning to the US from Ghana . “It says to us… that the oppressor never voluntarily gives freedom to the oppressed. You have to work for it.”

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESThe brief, and only, meeting between Malcolm X (R) and Martin Luther King (L) in Washingon DC, 26 March 1964
Image captionBabatunde Olatunji was close to both Martin Luther King (L) and Malcolm X (R) – the pair pictured here at their only meeting in 1964

In the 1962 American Negro Leadership Conference, King drew a more direct comparison between colonialism in Africa and American segregation, saying the two were “nearly synonymous… because their common end is economic exploitation, political domination, and the debasing of human personality”.

Meanwhile, King’s counterpart Malcolm X embraced the anti-colonial uprising of the Mau Mau movement in Kenya, and believed that adopting some of its tactics could help eradicate the Ku Klux Klan in the US .

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESBabatunde Olatunji at a Lincoln Center Out Of Doors concert in Damrosch Park in New York, the US - August 1997
Image captionHis daughters says Olatunji, who influenced many jazz musicians, had an amazing work ethic

He also met several African leaders to discuss the African-American civil rights struggle and received support in particular from Tanzania’s founding President Julius Nyerere. In 1964, Nyerere helped Malcolm X convince African leaders to pass a resolution at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit urging the US to eliminate racial discrimination .

Malcolm X also interacted with Africans in the US, where he met Olatunji, who drummed at civil rights rallies at his request.

“He had a close relationship with both Martin Luther King and Malcom X,” Atkinson says.

“Baba was a bridge between the two approaches of the time: King’s was non-violent and Malcolm’s not so much sometimes.”

Intensity and passion

Olatunji gave several performances for the NAACP and King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1960, he appeared on the civil rights jazz album We Insist! alongside playwright Oscar Brown Jr and Max Roach.

Quote box. Opal Tometi: "We have picked up the baton from a previous generation and we're continuing to run the race that they started."

” The intensity of my father’s performances , during which he exuberated his passion for his art, his message, and his fans always amazed me,” one of his four children, Folasade, told the BBC.

“He had an excellent work ethic which he instilled in his children and the people around him,” she said.

His eldest daughter Modupe added: “His work ethic was still evident until the end of his life.”

Their father died in 2003 one day before his 76th birthday. His legacy of music and activism continues to inspire successive generations, particularly contemporary Africans in America who draw on his example of bridging the continent with its diaspora.

“We have picked up the baton from a previous generation and we’re continuing to run the race that they started,” says Ms Tometi of BLM.

Olatunji’s biographer adds: “This is a perfect time for people to know about Baba. These demonstrations for justice are such a new and greater uprising of what he was part of 60 years ago.”

Previous Post

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde flagged off the ‘Light Up Oyo’ Project (Phase Two) and the reconstruction of Under G-Stadium-LAUTECH-2nd Gate Road, Ogbomoso (3Km)

Next Post

*Visa Openness and the Quest for a Unified Africa: A Comparative Analysis* Author: Anthony Onugba Editor: Namse Udosen and Efua Eshun

Next Post
*Visa Openness and the Quest for a Unified Africa: A Comparative Analysis*  Author: Anthony Onugba Editor: Namse Udosen and Efua Eshun

*Visa Openness and the Quest for a Unified Africa: A Comparative Analysis* Author: Anthony Onugba Editor: Namse Udosen and Efua Eshun

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED NEWS

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has rejected the Water Resources Bill

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has rejected the Water Resources Bill

2 years ago
Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state

Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state

2 years ago
Tinubu, Sanwo -Olu, Buni, others storm Ondo for Akeredolu’s campaign flag-off

Tinubu, Sanwo -Olu, Buni, others storm Ondo for Akeredolu’s campaign flag-off

2 years ago

Born a Queen

2 years ago

BROWSE BY CATEGORIES

  • Africa
  • Athletics
  • Business
  • Careers
  • Celebrity News
  • Companies
  • Competitions
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Featured
  • Fintech
  • Food and Drink
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Mobile
  • Movies
  • Music
  • National
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Soccer
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • World

BROWSE BY TOPICS

2018 League Africa Akwa Ibom at 33 Akwa Ibom State Balinese Culture Bali United Bank BBC Bobiwine Budget Travel Cameroon Champions League Chopper Bike COVID-19 Doctor Terawan Ecowas Elections Equality Female Feminism Ghana Hadiza Elrufai Ifiok Akpabio Immigration Istana Negara Market Stories Mbiya movies National Exam Nigeria Opinion Parler politics Queens socialmedia South Africa Sport Trump Udom Emmanuel Uganda Visit Bali Womanhood Women Work Place Zaria

POPULAR NEWS

  • *GENDER STEREOTYPING IN THE SOCIETY AND WORKFORCE, HOW TO SOLVE THEM INDIVIDUALLY

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • #EndSARS: Police Stations Burnt, AIT Office Vandalised In Benin City

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • A Making of A New ANA

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Exclusive: ‘We would not accept US drone strikes inside Kenya, ‘warns President Kenyatta

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION CONDEMNS THE KILLING OF PEACEFUL #ENDSARS PROTESTERS IN LAGOS BY THE NIGERIAN MILITARY

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Clipped Reports

Clipped Reports is one of the leading news and information websites bringing millions of readers breaking news and updates on Politics, culture, Current Affairs, Business, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Travel, Sport, Education and Technology.

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • OWO TERROR ATTACK: 80 PERSONS INVOLVED, 22 DEAD, 56 ON ADMISSION -GOV AKEREDOLU
  • Lagos okadas: Nigeria crushes 2,000 motorcycle taxis
  • Osinachi Nwachuwku: Husband denies killing Nigeria gospel star

Category

  • Africa
  • Athletics
  • Business
  • Careers
  • Celebrity News
  • Companies
  • Competitions
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Featured
  • Fintech
  • Food and Drink
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Mobile
  • Movies
  • Music
  • National
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Soccer
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • World

Recent News

OWO TERROR ATTACK: 80 PERSONS INVOLVED, 22 DEAD, 56 ON ADMISSION -GOV AKEREDOLU

OWO TERROR ATTACK: 80 PERSONS INVOLVED, 22 DEAD, 56 ON ADMISSION -GOV AKEREDOLU

June 8, 2022
Lagos okadas: Nigeria crushes 2,000 motorcycle taxis

Lagos okadas: Nigeria crushes 2,000 motorcycle taxis

June 4, 2022
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Career
  • Contact

© 2020 Clipped Reports - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Africa
    • Opinion
    • Politics
    • World
  • Business
    • Careers
    • Companies
    • Economy
    • Entrepreneurs
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity News
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
  • Culture
  • Sports
    • Athletics
    • Tennis
    • Boxing
    • Rugby
    • Soccer
  • Lifestyle
    • Competitions
    • Family
    • Food and Drink
    • Health
    • Love and Sex
    • Style and Beauty
  • Travel
  • Opinion
  • Technology
    • Fintech
    • Gadgets
    • Gaming
    • Mobile

© 2020 Clipped Reports - All Rights Reserved

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?