Black History Month: African American Musical Roots Discovered Through Legacy of Lomax Archives

Distinguished speakers Anna Lomax Wood of the the Association for Cultural Equity and Todd Harvey of Folklife Center of the Library of Congress, spent three busy days in Riga, Latvia, February 10-13, for a program of presentations, radio interviews, and professional meetings. The program was designed as a part of events celebrating February as Black History Month.

The speakers gave exciting presentations for audiences of Latvian students and scholars at the University of Latvia, the Latvian Academy of Culture, and the Academy of Music revealing the contribution of African Americans to American and world music by show casing the work of folklorists Alan and John Lomax. The Lomaxs, working for the Library of Congress, were pioneers in recording, collecting, studying, and disseminating early African-American folk music, in particulary the blues.

Both speakers also gave an interview to the Latvian National Radio, one of the most popular and trusted Latvian media sources, as well as a two-hour long live discussion about Alan Lomax and his work on the student radio station Naba.

U.S. Embassy, Riga, Public Affairs Section
Smilšu iela 7
Rīga, LV 1050
Phone: 371 750-9022
Internet: www.riga.usembassy.gov
Media specialist's e-mail: dilanes@state.gov lubinad@state.gov