Lemuel sheppard
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Lemuel sheppard

Pittsburg, Kansas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 1989 | SELF

Pittsburg, Kansas, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 1989
Solo Blues Acoustic

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Music

Press


"State Of Missouri Parks department [+ Show]"

State Of Missouri Parks department [+ Show]
Department Of Natural Resources
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel/nr06_379.htm...
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel/nr06_379.htm
- Department Of Natural Resources


"A Lesson In Black History"

Lemuel Sheppard doesn't just tell people about history. He lives it for them.

"When we think about history, we think about dead guys," Sheppard said Thursday. "I really like bringing people back to life. "

That's how Sheppard ended up Thursday at Langston Hughes School, enacting the story of York, a slave who explored the western United States with Lewis and Clark 200 years ago.

Sheppard told stories and sang songs during his performance, part of Black History Month observances at the school.

"He's a Kansas treasure," said Paula Pepin, a Langston Hughes parent who helped bring Sheppard to the school.

Sheppard, a Pittsburg resident, has performed across the United States, and in Brazil and South Africa. His Thursday visit to Lawrence was sponsored by a $500 grant from the Lawrence Arts Commission.

His concert Thursday included antislavery songs, blues and a musical adaptation of Langston Hughes' poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."


Lemuel Sheppard, of Pittsburg, showed students at Langston Hughes School some steps to an old-time dance, as part of his program about Lewis and Clark and black American history.
York was William Clark's childhood companion and slave. Not much is known about York, Sheppard told the students. About 50 people traveled in Meriwether Lewis and Clark's expedition, he said, and most scholars believe York was one of the few who could swim.

Clark set York free 10 years after the trip ended. Historians believe York eventually went west and became a leader in the Crow tribe, he said. A trapper reported meeting a black man named York in 1832 who was leading a group of Crow warriors into battle.

Black History Month often focuses on the history of Africa at the expense of history of blacks in the United States, Sheppard said after the performance.

"(Children) get inundated with the ancient heritage," he said.

"Anywhere in the world, you see a black-skinned person and you know (Africa's) their ancient heritage," Sheppard said. "We share that with people all over the world. What we don't share with people all over the world is this American, unique heritage."



6News video: Folk singer brings life back into history (02-03-05)

A deeper shade of history (02-22-04)

KU.edu: Black History Month


Black History Month began as "Negro History Week" in 1926. February was the month Abraham Lincoln was born, the NAACP was founded and U.S. Constitution's 15th Amendment -- guaranteeing blacks the right to vote -- was ratified.

- Lawrence Journal World, Lawrence Kansas


"Blog Entry"

Blog entry [+ Show]
Patsy Terrell
http://www.patsyterrell.com/2007/02/lemuel-sheppar... - Patsy Terrell


"Kennedy Center for the Performing"


Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. [+ Show]
Millennium Stage
http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium - Millenium Stage


"National Endowment Of the Arts [+ Show]"

National Endowment Of the Arts [+ Show]
NEA
http://www.nea.gov/about/NEARTS/2008_v2/story.php?...
http://www.nea.gov/about/NEARTS/2008_v2/story.php?id=p07_kansas

- NEA


Discography

1994 Brimstone Cooler
1994 KTWU Sunflower Journeys ( Public Television)
1999 Kennedy Center Millennium Concert Series (live concert available to view on line)
1999 Mix on the Fly (Compilation from 90.5 WCBE Columbus Ohio)
2004 Sound Track to PBS documentary "Black White& Brown
2005 Urbanfolk(Listen at cdbaby.com/lemuels)
Downloads at myspace.com/lemuelsheppard

Photos

Bio

  Kansas City native Lem Sheppard,  composed and performed the Jazz  and Blues soundtrack to the PBS documentary Black White & Brown, has received awards from The Kansas Folklore Society as well as The Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame and was a national finalist in the Telluride Acoustic Blues Challenge. Lem has performed in South Africa, toured Brazil, and performed at the Kennedy Center. 

"Thanking you for a wonderful year of touring for our company
we appreciated so very much all of the great shows, the professional way you did them, and all the extra miles and efforts on some of the weeks. I would hope we could do another tour in the future."
John Tacha
The Bureau of Lectures
Lawrence Kansas

The Eisteddfod International Music Festival in South Africa referred to Lemuel as, "An example in international and inter-cultural relations."

"The perfect touring artist'
US Embassy Brazil

DMACC
"Lem has been traveling the world teaching them about us, and traveling the country teaching us about ourselves."

Elgin Community College,
"You have an open invitation to play here anytime"