Cultural Sovereignty And The Commodification Of Black American Cultural Products With Daniel Atkinson

In this episode of Obehi Podcast, Dr, Daniel Atkinson will talk to us about cultural sovereignty and the commodification of black American cultural products.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.

African American culture has become commodified more and more in recent years, which can be seen through how popular music and film are marketed to the world. Hip-hop culture and rap music are by far the most prevalent of these examples.

Why is that the situation and what can we do to be treated with respect and have our cultural iconography and values treated the same way?

Daniel Atkinson, Ph.D., will be joining us from Washington, United States to answer some of our questions in regard to the sovereignty and the commodification of black American cultural products.

Some Key Points In This Episode

• The value and heritage of African American culture,
• What we should learn about Ethno-musicology,
• The commodification of black culture – what to know about it.

The Full Interview With Daniel Atkinson, Ph.D

About The Guest: Daniel Atkinson, Ph.D

Daniel Atkinson received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington, Seattle. His research focus is on Afro-American vernacular expression and its interaction with the global landscape. His dissertation research was conducted at the former slave plantation turned world’s largest prison, Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana.

The research was designed to serve as a platform to discuss issues of economic disparity and institutional racism as products of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. That research is now featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

He is currently working on the biography of George W. Walker (1872-1911), one of the founders of the Harlem Renaissance and star of “In Dahomey,” the first Black production on Broadway among other things.

You can connect with Daniel Atkinson, Ph.D on his LinkedIn page

Learn More About Obehi Podcast

Obehi Podcast brings you leaders and experts from different industries to share their experiences, relating to Africa and the African diaspora. Listen to Obehi Podcast across different platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube, and much more.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.