Dust + Dignity Podcast

Part 2 of 2 from Dr. Campbell's interview with the Nostalgia King, Skeme Richards for our Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music special season.  When you think of Philadelphia's rich history of musical contributions, you instantly notice that it is also a city known for birthing some of the greatest internationally known DJ's who are masters of their crafts. One such person who has deep roots and connections to the City of Brotherly Love is Skeme Richards. What started as a hobby in the early 80's has turned into an amazing musical career taking him across the globe as a professional DJ and music connoisseur to play for events small and large, from night clubs to festivals, art galleries to film premieres and even to play guest spots on both independent and commercial radio.Digging and spinning genres across the board, from Hip Hop to House, Funk & Soul classics to Disco, Jazz and beyond, Skeme keeps things classic and refreshingly new while continuously striving to separate himself from the pack. While maintaining originality in his brand, he keeps his first class status as a true party rocker all while satisfying and educating the partygoer at the same time. Quality is always of the utmost importance and the Skeme Richards brand has become synonymous with being a global cultural ambassador in connecting audiences of diverse backgrounds worldwide.Skeme Richards is known within a large circle of Funk & Soul aficionado's, DJ's, vinyl heavyweight collectors, artists and record labels and has toured playing 7” vinyl during some of the most unique and successful nights across the globe with his Butta 45's party which began in 2009. Not one to be a format purist and sticking to what has become the now trendy 45, he's known for packing crates of Disco 12” as well while toting them on flights globally to entertain his audience and also maintaining a long standing tradition of what the DJ has been known for, his personal selections. No matter the genre, Skeme Richards fits the bill with his delivery, vast musical knowledge and understanding of what it takes to rock a party by reading the crowd properly and reacting accordingly.With only 24 hours in a day, Skeme wears many hats that show his dedication to music. On the other side of the musical spectrum, he is also a writer and journalist who reviews vinyl releases from labels and artists across the globe on his Nostalgia King site which is the go to source for DJ's globally to find out the latest releases that he gives the co-sign to. Over the years, labels have come to trust his ear and taste in music as the testing ground for new releases that he often introduces to dance floors months in advance before they're officially released. Over the years, he has also contributed content to print publications including Disco Patrick's Hot Stuff Magazine (Netherlands) and Street Love Magazine (Germany).Through his dedication and love of the music, the self-proclaimed “Nostalgia King” has built his brand as a “tastemaker” of sorts and continues to “make and break” records in the same fashion that many of the great DJ's in the past. As a world traveler, you can find Skeme playing parties across the globe and touching down in some of his favorite destinations including London, Amsterdam, Germany, Russia, New York, Los Angeles, Japan, China and Korea and has shared stages with some of the best DJ's and performers globally.Support the show

Part 1 of 2 from Dr. Campbell's interview with the Nostalgia King, Skeme Richards for our Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music special season.  When you think of Philadelphia's rich history of musical contributions, you instantly notice that it is also a city known for birthing some of the greatest internationally known DJ's who are masters of their crafts. One such person who has deep roots and connections to the City of Brotherly Love is Skeme Richards. What started as a hobby in the early 80's has turned into an amazing musical career taking him across the globe as a professional DJ and music connoisseur to play for events small and large, from night clubs to festivals, art galleries to film premieres and even to play guest spots on both independent and commercial radio.Digging and spinning genres across the board, from Hip Hop to House, Funk & Soul classics to Disco, Jazz and beyond, Skeme keeps things classic and refreshingly new while continuously striving to separate himself from the pack. While maintaining originality in his brand, he keeps his first class status as a true party rocker all while satisfying and educating the partygoer at the same time. Quality is always of the utmost importance and the Skeme Richards brand has become synonymous with being a global cultural ambassador in connecting audiences of diverse backgrounds worldwide.Skeme Richards is known within a large circle of Funk & Soul aficionado's, DJ's, vinyl heavyweight collectors, artists and record labels and has toured playing 7” vinyl during some of the most unique and successful nights across the globe with his Butta 45's party which began in 2009. Not one to be a format purist and sticking to what has become the now trendy 45, he's known for packing crates of Disco 12” as well while toting them on flights globally to entertain his audience and also maintaining a long standing tradition of what the DJ has been known for, his personal selections. No matter the genre, Skeme Richards fits the bill with his delivery, vast musical knowledge and understanding of what it takes to rock a party by reading the crowd properly and reacting accordingly.With only 24 hours in a day, Skeme wears many hats that show his dedication to music. On the other side of the musical spectrum, he is also a writer and journalist who reviews vinyl releases from labels and artists across the globe on his Nostalgia King site which is the go to source for DJ's globally to find out the latest releases that he gives the co-sign to. Over the years, labels have come to trust his ear and taste in music as the testing ground for new releases that he often introduces to dance floors months in advance before they're officially released. Over the years, he has also contributed content to print publications including Disco Patrick's Hot Stuff Magazine (Netherlands) and Street Love Magazine (Germany).Through his dedication and love of the music, the self-proclaimed “Nostalgia King” has built his brand as a “tastemaker” of sorts and continues to “make and break” records in the same fashion that many of the great DJ's in the past. As a world traveler, you can find Skeme playing parties across the globe and touching down in some of his favorite destinations including London, Amsterdam, Germany, Russia, New York, Los Angeles, Japan, China and Korea and has shared stages with some of the best DJ's and performers globally.Support the show

Part 2 of 2 from Dr. Campbell's interview with Tone B. Nimble for our Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music special season.  Anthony Fields, aka Tone B. Nimble, has been a vital entity, on the music scene, for over 35 years. His calling started in the mid-1980's as a DJ spinning House, Disco, and Electro in Chicago's flourishing underground scene. With an open mind and ear, Tone branched out into hip-hop early in his career. Tone's musical journey includes: Mixshow DJ, several DJ residencies, Music Buyer, Label Owner, and Recording Artist.In 2011, Tone started Al-Tone Edits with partner Al Bumz, a disco edit label devotedto featuring lesser known Soul, Disco, and Gospel tunes. With support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Sadar Bahar and many others. Al-Tone Edits is regarded as a label for Disco savants. Eleven volumes deep, Al-Tone Edits continues to grow in exposure, while opening doors for the duo. More recently Tone developed a following for “Soul Is My Salvation” a music series dedicated to dance and DJ friendly Gospel tunes. The series has released three mixtapes (Record Breakin' Music) and nine 45's (Rain & Shine), with plans to expand into installations centered around this same theme.In 2019 Tone opened Conservatory Vintage and Vinyl with his wife Chogie. The store focuses on vinyl records and mid century modern furniture. Known for its great selection of soul and jazz, the shop hosts some of the world's most respected record collectors for digging and DJ sessions. Presently Conservatory Vintage and Vinyl is Tone's primary focus, with an occasional DJ gig, and his ongoing research in gospel music.Support the show

Part 1 of 2 from Dr. Campbell's interview with Tone B. Nimble for our Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music special season.  Anthony Fields, aka Tone B. Nimble, has been a vital entity, on the music scene, for over 35 years. His calling started in the mid-1980's as a DJ spinning House, Disco, and Electro in Chicago's flourishing underground scene. With an open mind and ear, Tone branched out into hip-hop early in his career. Tone's musical journey includes: Mixshow DJ, several DJ residencies, Music Buyer, Label Owner, and Recording Artist. In 2011, Tone started Al-Tone Edits with partner Al Bumz, a disco edit label devotedto featuring lesser known Soul, Disco, and Gospel tunes. With support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Sadar Bahar and many others. Al-Tone Edits is regarded as a label for Disco savants. Eleven volumes deep, Al-Tone Edits continues to grow in exposure, while opening doors for the duo. More recently Tone developed a following for “Soul Is My Salvation” a music series dedicated to dance and DJ friendly Gospel tunes. The series has released three mixtapes (Record Breakin' Music) and nine 45's (Rain & Shine), with plans to expand into installations centered around this same theme. In 2019 Tone opened Conservatory Vintage and Vinyl with his wife Chogie. The store focuses on vinyl records and mid century modern furniture. Known for its great selection of soul and jazz, the shop hosts some of the world's most respected record collectors for digging and DJ sessions. Presently Conservatory Vintage and Vinyl is Tone's primary focus, with an occasional DJ gig, and his ongoing research in gospel music.Support the show

Part 2 of 2 from Dr. Campbell's interview with King Britt for our Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music special season.  King is a 30+ year producer, composer and performer in the global advancement of electronic music.  As a composer and producer, his practice has led to numerous original and remix music collaborations. As Teaching Professor in Computer Music at the University of California San Diego, King carries a unique perspective, bringing a non-linear approach and knowledge to the department by focusing on various modern forms of electronic music pedagogy, while continuing to be an active force in the music industry.  Blacktronika : Afrofuturism In Electronic Music, is a new lecture course at UCSD, created by King, researching and honoring the people of color, who have pioneered groundbreaking genres within the electronic music landscape.Learn more about King James Britt here.Support the show

Part 1 of 2 from Dr. Campbell's interview with King James Britt for our Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music special season.  King is a 30+ year producer, composer and performer in the global advancement of electronic music.  As a composer and producer, his practice has led to numerous original and remix music collaborations. As Teaching Professor in Computer Music at the University of California San Diego, King carries a unique perspective, bringing a non-linear approach and knowledge to the department by focusing on various modern forms of electronic music pedagogy, while continuing to be an active force in the music industry.  Blacktronika : Afrofuturism In Electronic Music, is a new lecture course at UCSD, created by King, researching and honoring the people of color, who have pioneered groundbreaking genres within the electronic music landscape.Learn more about King James Britt here.

To kick off season 5 of the Dust + Dignity Podcast we thought we would provide some context for our special season entitled: Champions of the Culture: Modern Advocates Preserving Black Music.  Dr. Campbell has again been awarded a CASAA Scholar-Advocate Fellowship to continue his research and scholarship focusing on leadership, social justice and music.  He will be using a mix of archival research, storytelling, and qualitative analysis to explore the unique ways leaders uphold Black Music. These are stories and context that are important pieces of history that need to be shared and documented.   CASAA is the Center for Anti Racist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action at Arcadia University.     

We can't discuss Black music without mentioning the drum. I'm sure this season will continue to have drum references throughout but I think it's important to discuss the origin of the instrument.Drums hold a very special place in African history and culture. For the Western world, drums are mainly relegated to the realm of entertainment, adding another musical dimension to songs and other performances. In Africa, drums hold various symbolic meanings that have played an important part in the history of the people who call the continent their home.As you listen to your favorite music, see if you hear any similar drum sounds like I've shared with you today.As a reminder this episode is part of season 4 of the Dust + Dignity Podcast. A  special season entitled: Black Music's Roots in Social Justice Advocacy.  Dr. Campbell was one of 5 awardees of  CASAA's Inaugural Scholar-Advocate Program.  CASAA is the Center for Anti Racist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action at Arcadia University.  This season will triangulate archival research, storytelling and strategies of Black music as a tool for change.   

To celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday Dr. Campbell explores Dr. King's “Drum Major Instinct” sermon he delivered on February 4, 1968 at Ebenezer Baptist Church. This sermon is an important lesson to understanding Dr. King's theory of service. He wanted us all to work to create a more just, democratic society and how his thoughts continue to resonate in contemporary struggles. Many of which we still battle today. As a reminder this episode is part of season 4 of the Dust + Dignity Podcast. A  special season entitled: Black Music's Roots in Social Justice Advocacy.  Dr. Campbell was one of 5 awardees of  CASAA's Inaugural Scholar-Advocate Program.  CASAA is the Center for Anti Racist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action at Arcadia University.  This season will triangulate archival research, storytelling and strategies of Black music as a tool for change.  

To kick off season 4 of the Dust + Dignity Podcast we thought we would provide some context for our special season entitled: Black Music's Roots in Social Justice Advocacy.  Dr. Campbell was one of 5 awardees of  CASAA's Inaugural Scholar-Advocate Program.  CASAA is the Center for Anti Racist Scholarship, Advocacy, and Action at Arcadia University.  This season will triangulate archival research, storytelling and strategies of Black music as a tool for change.   

To kick off season 3 of the Dust + Dignity Podcast we thought we would do something a little different and focus on a single album. We Shall Overcome: Songs of the Freedom Riders and the Sit-Ins on Folkways Records . This 1961 recording of spirituals, gospel and new music to "express the spirit of freedom" was the result of an effort by producer and performer Guy Carawan to bring together singers representative of hundreds of thousands African American students from the south participating in sit-ins, stand-ins and freedom rides for "first class citizenship" during the civil rights movement. The songs are performed by The Montgomery Gospel Trio, comprised of three high school girls from Alabama, as well as four seminary students who call themselves "The Nashville Quartet" in an impromptu session as recorded by Moses Asch.

Philadelphia-based poet, singer, educator and curator Yolanda Wisher is the author of Monk Eats an Afro (Hanging Loose Press, 2014) and the co-editor of Peace is a Haiku Song (Philadelphia Mural Arts, 2013). Wisher was named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1999 and the third Poet Laureate of Philadelphia for 2016-2017. A Pew and Cave Canem Fellow, Wisher was awarded the Leeway Foundation's Transformation Award in 2019 for her commitment to art for social change. Wisher taught high school English for a decade, served as Director of Art Education for Philadelphia Mural Arts, and founded and directed the Germantown Poetry and Outbound Poetry Festivals. She performs a unique blend of poetry and song with her band The Afroeaters and has led workshops and curated events in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the U.S. Department of Arts & Culture. Wisher was part of the first cohort of artists with studios at the Cherry Street Pier on the Delaware River Waterfront. She is currently the Curator of Spoken Word and producer of the podcast Love Jawns: A Mixtape at Philadelphia Contemporary, a freestanding space for contemporary and performance art.

As the Fall 2020 election approaches, Dr. Bruce Campbell Jr. wanted to stress the importance of voting. Going to the archives, Dr. Campbell connects Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's powerful words of encouragement to vote from 1964 to 2020's similar political climate.

Dr. Brian Peterson is the Director of Makuu, the University of Pennsylvania’s Black Cultural Center, and a lecturer at Penn. Over his twenty years in higher education he has built student success programs covering the spectrum of access and completion. Dr. Peterson is a three-time graduate of the University of Pennsylvania – first from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and later earning his masters and doctorate from the Graduate School of Education. Presently he teaches or co-teaches two courses including The History of Women and Men of African Descent at the University of Pennsylvania. He also serves as a pre-major advisor. He is the proud father of five children (Nia, Jalen, Nicholas, Myles, and Quincy), four books (including Higher Learning: Maximizing Your College Experience), and one academic and cultural enrichment program, Asé Academy.

Sarah Mueller is a cinephile, a life-long learner and (very proud) 18 year community-rooted resident of Philadelphia. Sarah is the Director and Founder of, cinéSPEAK, a Philadelphia-based justice-centered independent cinema organization. They work to bring together communities over thought-provoking film and important conversation. Using cinema as a gathering tool to spark dialogue and new relationships amongst neighbors, they connect individuals with change-maker organizations and institutions while emboldening community members to be keepers and tellers of their own stories.

Rochelle Nichols-Solomon is an educator and social justice activist with more than thirty years working on major school, district and community initiatives aimed at increasing education excellence and equity for students of color and low-income communities. Rochelle’s long community history includes working with numerous organizations and serving on local and national non-profit Boards revolving around issues of public education, culture, and philanthropy. Retired, Rochelle aspires to maintain a healthy balance between organizing, volunteering, and play. Rochelle is married to songwriter James Solomon, and is the mother of two writers: Asali Solomon and Akiba Solomon.

Kicking off season 2 of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, with a conversation we had with TY (Ben Chijioke). He is an hip hop artist, producer and cultural ambassador. I like to also call him the Mayor of Brixton. He has released his first album in 2001 and has not stopped. Numerous releases, collaborations and perspectives. TY is a creative at heART with plenty to say.

In this latest episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, we were able to chat with Deborah Gordon Klehr. She is the Executive Director of the Education Law Center, a non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring access to a quality public education for all children in Pennsylvania. Deborah brings extensive expertise on education law and policy issues, including fairness in school discipline, fair funding for public education, and other school access and improvement issues.

In this latest episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, we were able to chat with Samantha-Jane Ofoegbu. She is an artist, fashion designer, cultural ambassador, entrepreneur and emcee. Ms. Ofoegbu started writing, recording and performing music in Liverpool under the name Phoenix Black. Years later she started trading in Brixton (London, UK) outdoor market as a self taught fashion designer with her label GeoD by Samantha-J. Rounding out her creative flow, Ms. Ofoegbu opened a store as one of the original founders in 2010 and now sole current owner of the concept store United80. The concept is around art, music, fashion and black culture. The aim of the store is to sell quality goods and give creative artists a platform to showcase and sell their work but most importantly be able to have a career/income off the back of their art.

In this latest episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, we were able to chat with a leader and academic scholar Dr. Jeffrey Carroll. Dr. Jeffrey N. Carroll is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Chestnut Hill College. His teaching and research specializes in American Politics and its intersection with urban affairs, social geography, and civic engagement. In January 2019, he was appointed chair to the Center for Data & Society, a faculty collaboration between the computer, mathematical, and political science programs which investigates how data and information can be best used to understand the communities in which we live. Jeffrey also oversees the “Beatlab,” Philadelphia’s first hip-hop centric music studio that fosters messages of social justice leveraging his passion for making beats and writing rhymes. The Beatlab has just released a full-length project, “Mics Ain’t Free,” available at www.micsaintfree.com

In this latest episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, we were able to chat with a wonderful leader Maryam April Pugh. Maryam Pugh is a printmaker based in Philadelphia. She is the owner and CEO of the social justice apparel brand and screen printing workshop Philadelphia Printworks. She is a resident artist at Mural Arts Philadelphia where she currently teaches youth entrepreneurs essential art-related business skills. She also serves on the steering committee of the March to End Rape Culture and as an organizer with the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund. Through her work, she strives to amplify marginalized voices and empower communities of color.

In this latest episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast, we were able to chat with a dynamic leader Dr. Monica J. Taylor. “During my tenure in the Hatboro-Horsham School District, I have had the privilege of holding several leadership positions that have allowed me to find innovative ways to support collaborative efforts which enabled us to expand and grow. While I enthusiastically enjoyed eight years as principal of Crooked Billet Elementary School, the position of Assistant Superintendent offers me an opportunity to promote and sustain our established culture of professional and academic excellence with educators, parents, students, and community stakeholders in every school.Another very important aspect of my role is to promptly respond to the mandates and challenges before me by using administrative strategies that intertwine lessons from the past with a vision for the future. As your Assistant Superintendent, I remain committed to partnering with you to maintain a strong and comprehensive educational program and learning environment which enhances self-esteem, provides role models, optimizes each child’s potential, develops a lifelong love of learning, builds personal responsibility, and accentuates individual respect in a rapidly changing society.” – Dr. Monica J. Taylor

In the first episode of the Dust + Dignity Podcast we learn more about our host Dr. Bruce Campbell Jr. and this exciting podcast.