Strathmore to Honor Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon
By Afton Markay(Photo credit: Roland Freeman)
“Over My Head, I Hear Music In The Air: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Bernice Johnson Reagon” will be presented by Strathmore on May 16, 2025.
The one-night-only tribute to the legendary singer, scholar, and activist is curated by her daughter, Toshi Reagon. The evening will feature performances by Reagon, Lizz Wright, The Vinsons, Arial Horowitz, and Jessica Johnson. They will be accompanied by Fred Cash. Reflections will be shared by Adisa Douglas, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, and Tashawn N. Reagon, with appearances by Original SNCC Freedom Singers Rutha Mae Harris and Charles Neblett.
Dr. Reagon she was a founding member of the Freedom Singers. She earned her Ph.D. from Howard University, becoming a cultural historian, centered on the role of music. She was professor emerita in the Department of History at The American University and was a scholar-in-residence at Stanford. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music in 2017.
“Over My Head, I Hear Music in the Air” also continues the partnership between Ms. Reagon and Strathmore. In 2022, Strathmore premiere of the opera adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” created by Ms. Reagon and Dr. Reagon.
This event will be held at Strathmore’s Music Center in North Bethesda, Maryland.
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