Joy Melody Woods is a doctoral student in communications research at the University of Texas at Austin. The hashtag started as a conversation between friends. The stories are both heartbreaking and infuriating and they illuminate the ways in which our current higher education system is limiting the impact that talented individuals of color could have if they weren't so discouraged. Both students and faculty members have been sharing their stories under the hastag #BlackInTheIvory, referring to cliches colleges and universities as "ivory tower" institutions. This week, Twitter is the platform for an eye-opening conversation about the barriers to success that BIPOC academics have at American universities. The group continues to perform at various venues, eliciting an enthusiastic reaction from old and new fans alike.As the curtain's being pulled back on racism in policy and government, we are also learning more about how institutional racism is a significant problem in other fields as well. The group released their sixth album in 2011, titled “Continuum.” The album features their hit song “Don’t Turn Around” among a mix of hip-hop, soul and dance music. The group now has their own record label, SLR Records, whose name is composed of their own first-name initials. Today, Black Ivory is still going strong. Through the years, the group has remained known through sampling by various hip-hop artists, including Raekwon, 9th Wonder and Madlib. In 1977, Burgess left the group to pursue a successful music production career in the disco genre.
In all, they have released six albums and 14 singles. Throughout their career, the group also changed record labels, including a move to Warner Bros. We were a well-oiled machine.”ĭuring Black Ivory’s height, the trio got heavy rotation on the radio, performed around the country and did television appearances, including “Soul Train” in 1973. “I was in charge of music direction, Stewart was over choreography and Russell did our wardrobe. “One of the things that made Black Ivory so successful is that everyone had a job,” Burgess said. The album features their signature song, with the same name as the album, which they still sing for audiences today. The group released its debut album, “Don’t Turn Around,” in 1972. The girls went absolutely wild.”īlack Ivory was soon recording a demo and then signed with Today Records. “The second show we did was a talent show at Roosevelt High School in the Bronx. “We did shows for social programs, block parties and one show at the International Club,” Patterson recalls. As the act became more polished, the city and then the country began swooning for them. We would rehearse after school and also met on Saturdays.” Still, Bascome recalled, “Patrick felt five people was too much to work with.”Īfter two of the youths departed, Burgess, Bascombe and Patterson were left, and Adams named them Black Ivory the group got its name after going through the dictionary. “We sang over the phone for him,” he said. The group started in Harlem in the late 1960s with three young local men, and after some personnel and name changes, grew to include five teens.īascombe said they got their big break when they auditioned for manager and producer Patrick Adams at a time when the band members were 15 or 16 years old. Young girls across the country had posters of Black Ivory in their rooms and would scream at their concerts. Today, the Harlem-based group, composed of longtime friends Russell Patterson, Stewart Bascombe and Leroy Burgess, is still satisfying fans while gaining a new audience. Legendary all-male R&B singing group Black Ivory wowed fans with their smooth moves, velvet voices and shining charm in the 1970s.
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