Doctoral candidate Ben Barson contributed a chapter to the newly released book Black Power Afterlives: The Enduring Significance of the Black Panther Party (Haymarket Books). The book explores how the Black Panther Party laid the foundation for decades of activism right up to the current Black Lives Matter movement. Barson’s chapter, “Poetic Justice: The Dialectic Between Power Politics and Fred Ho’s Revolutionary Music,” focuses on baritone saxophonist/composer Fred Ho and his solidarity work with the political prisoners of the Black Panther Party.

Haymarket Book’s release event featured music by Barson and Afro Yaqui Music Collective, created in collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts on Campus and the UW-Madison contemporary jazz ensemble. The works were created during Afro Yaqui’s spring 2020 Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program at UW-Madison.

Congratulations to Ben for his part in this very timely publication!