Other
Nat King Cole Society: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
This site provides information about Nat King Cole, as well as a timeline of his life. Nat King Cole was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Duke Ellington
Explore the fascinating life of a founding father of jazz music. Duke Ellington (1899-1974 CE) was a gifted musician and composer from an early age. This website provides you with a detailed account of his life and his accomplishments.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Ella Fitzgerald
Brief biography of famous singer and Grammy winner Ella Fitzgerald.
My Hero Project
My Hero: Jacob Lawrence
Read this student article that portrays Jacob Lawrence as "the first African American artist to cross over the 'color line' and exhibit his work in galleries and museums previously only showing the works of white artists."
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Louis Jordan
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Louis Jordan, an American saxophonist-singer prominent in the 1940s and '50s who was a seminal figure in the development of both rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The bouncing, rhythmic...
Black Past
Black Past: Cole, Nat "King"
This brief encyclopedia entry gives information about Nat "King" Cole, an influential jazz pianist and vocalist.
Black Past
Black Past: Bert Williams
This encyclopedia article gives a good overview of the life of Bert Williams, a black entertainer of the early 1900's who broke many color lines.
Black Past
Black Past: Fitzgerald, Ella
This encyclopedia entry details the life of Ella Fitzgerald, the incredible jazz singer.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Laura Wheeler Waring
Short biographical sketch on Laura Wheeler Waring, an American painter and educator who often depicted African American subjects.
University of Michigan
University of Michigan: Chico's Salsa Virtual Tour
This multimedia tour of Salsa dancing includes general background information, a chronology of salsa, sound and video clips, biographies on salsa artists, and resources for further reading and research. Also included is a "Salsa...
Other
Art, Repetition, and Jacob Lawrence
A great idea for a lesson plan including the style of Jacob Lawrence's "Parade." Not only includes lesson plan, but also a list of artists with similar styles to Lawrence. Lesson is under Instructional Unit Three.
Other
Morris Museum of Art
Located in Augusta, GA. The only museum dedicated entirely to Southern art and artists. Houses the Center for the Study of Southern Painting.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Blues Journey
Trace the history of the blues in America through the play, Blues Journey, based on the book by Walter Dean Myers. You can see video clips of the stage play, listen to blues radio shows, and learn about different types of blues music.
Rutgers University
One More Once: A Celebration of the Life of Count Basie
Here is a truly wonderful site devoted to the life and music of Count Basie. A musicography tracks his creations through the decades of his life, and there are also photo essays to add celebrity interest to this excellent site.
Other
June Kelly Gallery: Norman Lewis
This resource offers a timeline format of the education and career of Norman Lewis.
PBS
Pbs: Biography of Dizzy Gillespie
This PBS biography about trumpeter and jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie includes photos, multiple audio features, and links within the text to other famous musicians.
Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago: Art Access: Aaron Douglas: Aspects of Negro Life
This resource presents information about a preparatory gouache made by Douglas, in 1934, for a mural commissioned by the Works Progress Administration.
Other
Juneteenth: The Middle Passage
Moving description of the Middle Passage and African American trauma through the perspective of the artist, Tom Feelings.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Bill Dixon
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Bill Dixon, an American jazz artist born Oct. 5, 1925, Nantucket, Mass.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Mestre Valentim, Passeio Publico, Rio De Janeiro
The Passeio Publico in Brazil represented several groundbreaking achievements in art. This park was designed by an artist of African descent-Mestre Valentim. View pictures and read the history of this public park, including the unique...
PBS
Pbs: Blues Road Trip
Come and trace the migration of the blues through the United States. This site features an in-depth look at the origins of the Blues throughout its development across the Deep South of the US and beyond.
PBS
Classics for Kids: Scott Joplin
A short biography of Scott Joplin (1868-1917 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.
New Georgia Encyclopedia: Blues Music: Overview
Overview and definition of blues music that developed in the southern United States in the early nineteenth century. Performers from Georgia include Ray Charles, Ma Rainey, Little Richard, and the Allman Brothers.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute:visual Blues of Lawrence, Douglas, and Bearden
Within this lesson plan there is a nice introduction to Douglas' work.