Seizing Our Future: A Celebration of Revolutionary Music

Celebrate the Revolutionary Music of Ellington, Mingus, Sun Ra, and Bootsy

Join us on Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, 2025 to celebrate the revolutionary music of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, and Bootsy Collins at our symposium in Philadelphia, “Seizing Our Future: The Revolutionary Music of Ellington, Mingus, Sun Ra, and Bootsy.” During the two-day symposium, we will screen and discuss major compositional and performative works such as Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo’ and ‘Black, Brown, and Beige.’ We strive to reclaim the revolutionary spirit of these composers and their music for this time of crisis, and make clear this music’s connection to the Black Freedom Struggle. We will discuss this music as evidence of a new stage of world consciousness and its role in advancing a new world movement of thought.

Help us make this event possible by donating to our symposium. All contributions will go toward venue cost, refreshments, printing costs, and future activities of the Free School.

"People must prove to the people. A better day is coming for you and for me." - Curtis Mayfield

For more information on the event, please visit https://www.saturdayfreeschool.org/music.

If you would like to skip the GoFundMe platform’s fees, you can directly Venmo @Crystal-Tsang or Cashapp $crystaljtsang, and we will log your donation manually.