We’re so happy to be building on this relationship again. In celebration of the partnership the BRC had with The Kitchen in our early years (the first-ever BRC Orchestra show was our Apartheid Concert there on Feb 1, 1986), we were asked to be honorary co-chairs for their gala event this year in remembrance of our late co-founder Greg Tate. The Tate Family really came through and managed to hook up a one-night-only performance with Greg’s long-time friends and collaborator Mikel Mwalimu-Banks (Women In Love, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber) and Harriet Tubman (featuring Melvin Gibbs, JT Lewis, and Brandon Ross).

@ Alamo Drafthouse Theater, Lower Manhattan, June 7, 2022

It’s no secret…we’re Prince fans. When his rollicking concert film “Sign ‘O The Times” turned 35 we had to, not just see it again but, see it on the big screen—singing, dancing and reminiscing along with 60 of our favorite people. We also had some fun giveaways, trivia, prizes, and surprises to sweeten the deal.

A generous donor rented the space out for us, so all ticket prices went directly to the BRC, so we can keep doing what we’ve been doing over the last four decades.

12/13/21

“The hope for a joyous holiday season has been somberly paused as we find ourselves grappling with the sudden and terrible loss of our beloved Greg Tate by cardiac arrest. 

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The light in this dark time has been found in reading and hearing the countless reflections, anecdotes, and testaments to inspiration that illuminate how Greg impacted so many lives in addition to our own. Thank you for your statements and outpouring of support. 

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They have sustained us at a time of unimaginable grief.  Greg was an amazing son, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, nephew, cousin – a family man in the deepest African sense. He was also a gentle giant of Black  radical thought and creativity, an invaluable friend, and a generous mentor to many. 

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We intend to honor him in a manner worthy of his legacy. Within the next several days, our immediate family will hold a private home-going service for Greg. 

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In the months ahead, we will explore all the ways we can publicly celebrate his life and works. For that, we will hope for the privilege of working with many of you to help us recognize Greg in the myriad ways that he deserves, to keep his light shining on us all.” 

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~ Geri, Brian & Chinara Tate

The Black Rock Coalition is shocked, saddened and absolutely devastated with the news that our brother, friend and co-founder Greg Tate made his transition on December 7, 2021. Thirty-six years to the day after the first official BRC event, Drop The Bomb.

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Greg, who along with Vernon Reid, Konda Mason and other musicians, journalists, and other visionary, well informed sBlack rock n roll heads, started the Black Rock Coalition in 1985 as a means to combat misinformation about the true of this rock n roll thing of ours, confront the subtle and overt racism that has, and continue to plague the music industry, and to champion those of color who carry the banner proudly and without apology.  

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Greg wrote the original BRC manifesto and the words that changed the lives and perspectives of the many women and men of color who felt like outsiders within their own culture:  

‘Rock n roll is Black music and we are its heirs.’

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Greg lived this manifesto in every aspect of his life, whether as a kid growing up in Dayton, as a student at Howard University and upon his arrival in New York in 1982 as a writer for The Village Voice.  Greg led the wave of Black writers who, without apology, honored the past yet went full speed ahead into the future, giving dap to Black artists across the cultural spectrum who were not getting love within mainstream circles.  

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Greg thought globally but acted locally, as evidenced by his books Flyboy In The Buttermilk, Everything But The Burden, Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and The Black Experience.  He led the badass improvisation ensemble, Burnt Sugar: The Arkestra Chamber for over decades, which honored the legacy of the late and sadly missed Lawrence ‘Butch’ Morris, and showed some of the best and baddest players from all over the world.

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The footprint he left on The Black Rock Coalition is immeasurable.

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Everyone here at The Black Rock Coalition sends out its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to his daughter Chinara, grandson Nile, sister Geri, brother Brian, sister-in-law Maureen, his niece, and all those who knew and loved him dearly.  

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Peace be with you brother.

Soul embodied by Felice Rosser, Nao Hakamada, and Fin Hunt. Follow the music, musings, and movement at faithnyc.net.

The download codes are ready for our BRC 35th Anniversary Compilation—Rock ‘n Rock Reparations, v. 4. Thanks to all the artists who’ve shared music. Now that we’ve done the hard work of picking the songs that best represent what Black self-determination, Afrofuturism, and the BRC have to offer in this anniversary year, we look forward to sharing it with you. Email BRC35@blackrockcoalition.org with “V4 Code” in the subject and we’ll get it out to you. Hope y’all enjoy.

A 4-day marathon of BRC memories, performances, discussions, and music.

Eternal appreciation to Joi, Kat Dyson, Maureen Mahon, Honeychild Coleman, DJ Reborn, Nona Hendryx, Will Calhoun, Kevin Strait, Rob Fields, Petra Richterova, William Helms, Angelo Moore, Chris Metzler, Lev Anderson, Fishbone, DJ Logic, David Ryan Harris, Konda Mason, Greg Tate, Vernon Reid, Craig Street, Flip Barnes, and DJ Greg Caz for joining us live in the room for some pretty amazing discussions. An additional shoutout is due to the BRC OGs who came through throughout the event, some of whom gave video interviews which will be shown in social media later. In particular, Don Eversley, Bill Toles, Jared Michael Nickerson, Jan de Silva, Michael Hill, Jimmy Saal, JT Lewis, Melvin Gibbs, Kelvyn Bell, Bevis Griffin, Beverly Jenkins, Marque Gilmore, Tracie Morris, Jimi Hazel, Rick Skatore, Chuck Brownley, and so many others.

And beaucoup thank yous to Living Colour, David Ryan Harris, Van Hunt, Faith, Sophia’s Toy, The 1865, Jackie Venson, Blak Emoji, The Oxymorrons, Tamar-kali, Model Decoy, 100 Watt Heart, Militia Vox, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, Marcus Machado, Stew, The Family Stand, Three5Human, Dope Sagittarius, Thaylobleu, Slapbak, Band Of Gypsys Revisited Band, Screaming Headless Torsos, and Shelley Nicole’s BlaKbüshe for sharing rare, exclusive, or little-seen live video performances.

And for those of you who joined us for one hour or for all four hours on all four nights, THANK YOU. We are community. We could not have gotten to 35 years without it.