Listen "Archiving the Underground "
Episode Synopsis
Next up in our summer playlist, we bring you an episode of The Kitchen Sisters Present, a podcast featuring sound-rich stories ‘from the b-side of history.’ This one is a musical treat! The Kitchen Sisters delve into the story of the founding of the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard by Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Professor of African and African American Studies and Professor Henry Louis Gates to “facilitate and encourage the pursuit of knowledge, art, culture, scholarship and responsible leadership through Hiphop.” You’ll hear from Professor Morgan, Professor Gates, Nas, Nas Fellow Patrick Douthit aka 9th Wonder, The Hiphop Fellows working at the Archive, an array of Harvard archivists, and students studying at the Archive as well as the records, music and voices being preserved there.Then they take a look at the Cornell University Hip Hop Collection, founded in 2007, through a sampling of stories from Assistant Curator Jeff Ortiz, Johan Kugelberg author of “Born in the Bronx,” and hip hop pioneers Grandmaster Caz, Pebblee Poo, Roxanne Shante and more.This episode is part of The Kitchen Sisters’ series THE KEEPERS—stories of activist archivists, rogue librarians, curators, collectors and historians—keepers of the culture and the cultures and collections they keep.We end this guest-feature with a short interview with the Smithsonian’s Dwandalyn R. Reece, Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. She and Lizzie talk about the process behind the creation of The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap. Special Thanks: At The Hiphop Archive at Harvard: Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Executive Director and Professor of African and African American Studies + Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research + 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit) + Harold Shawn + Harry Allen + Professor Tommie Shelby + Michael Davis + Brionna Atkins + Justin Porter + Robert Rush. At the Loeb Music Library: Josh Cantor + Sarah Adams. At the Hip Hop Collection, Cornell University Library: Ben Ortiz. At NPR: Rodney Carmichael. At large: Jeff Chang + Pedro Coen + NasThe Keepers is produced by The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva, with Nathan Dalton and Brandi Howell.The Keepers Sonic Signature music is by Moondog.For more of The Kitchen Sisters Present, visit kitchensisters.org.
More episodes of the podcast Sidedoor
A Very Cold Case
24/12/2025
A Mold with a Grudge
10/12/2025
The Secret of Lincoln's Watch
26/11/2025
It's Season 12!
19/11/2025
A Message Regarding the Shutdown
10/10/2025
Extreme Botany
03/09/2025
Back to School: Origins of the Pledge
20/08/2025
Bear Trouble
06/08/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.