In honor of the Harlem Renaissance centennial, Assistant Professor Emil Wilbekin, Marketing Communications, moderated a roundtable with four other Black creative leaders: chef Shenarri Freeman; ethnomusicologist Fredara M. Hadley, PhD; art curator and educator Naima J. Keith; and fashion entrepreneur Houston White. They gathered at the Freehand Hotel in New York City’s Flatiron District to discuss what the Harlem Renaissance means today and how it influences these particular creatives. Their conversation can be read (as a feature titled “The Gathering”) in Legacy: The Culture Issue, a zine created by The New York Times T Brand Studio.
The Legacy zine series was launched, in print and as a digital hub, to honor the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance and as an homage to the underground press of that era. Each of the two 12-page zines spotlights Black wealth and culture via stories about Black thought leaders, entrepreneurs, ranchers, creatives, and more.
Both issues of Legacy were produced by an entirely Black creative team, a first for T Brand Studio. The series’ first volume was Legacy: The Wealth Issue.