Presented at the Troutbeck Symposium

The Troutbeck Inn, located in Amenia New York, has close historical roots connected to the NAACP and civil rights movement. The vast and beautiful grounds served as a meeting place during the summer where prominent figure in the NAACP came to meet. These people included, W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Mary Ovington, and many more. The Inn recently worked with local teachers and academics to create the symposium with the goal of sharing lost African American history.

Local students presented on a vast range of topics including art pieces inspired by the forgotten black female performers of the Harlem Renaissance, documentaries about local history of eugenics, and mixed media pieces meant to illuminate the struggles of slavery.

My presentation was about Hip Hop fashion and it’s connection the Harlem Renaissance. I focused on Dapper Dan and his contributions to street and hip hop fashion. For the final, I drew on the medium that I have tons of experience in, and combined it with my love for old school Hip Hop and art. My piece was a cardboard recreation of the iconic Adidas Superstar sneaker, and was painted with the design of a Jacket that Dapper Dan created for Rakim. Please slide through the presentation underneath if you are interested.

Pictures from the day featuring my lil sister and I