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Gantt Symposium 2014: Common

Oct 2, 2014 Knight Theater

  • Pricing:
    $10 - $20
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Overview

The Harvey B. Gantt Center presents artist, actor, and philanthropist, Common, as the 2014 Gantt Symposium speaker. Common’s participation is an ideal end-cap to the dialogues inspired by the Question Bridge: Black Males exhibition, and a dynamic segue into the Gantt’s 40th Anniversary celebration. Common’s talk on greatness highlights the Gantt’s desire to mark our institutional milestone by celebrating artists who use their work to transform awareness, empower youth, and affect social and creative change.

About Common
The "King of Conscious Hip Hop," Common is one of music's most poetic and respected lyricists. Over the course of nine albums, his introspective rhymes have pushed boundaries with their incisive social commentary. From Can I Borrow a Dollar? to BE,  and Finding Forever, his Grammy-nominated collaborations with Kanye West, Common has spent 16 years in the notoriously fickle world of hip hop by taking risks and staying one step ahead of the game. His latest album is The Dreamer/The Believer.

Common has also branched out into acting, portraying freed slave Elam Ferguson in AMC's historical drama series Hell on Wheels. He also appears in several movies, including Smokin' Aces, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, and Just Wright.

Common isn't just a musician and actor: he is a role model. In 2007, he launched the Common Ground Foundation, an organization dedicated to the empowerment and development of America's urban youth. Common’s three children’s books, The MIRROR and ME, I Like You But I Love Me, and M.E. (Mixed Emotions) combine hip hop with literature and offers the younger generation a better understanding of self-respect and love. His first book for adults is the provocative and touching memoir, One Day It'll All Make Sense.

Whether inspiring audiences through his music, his books, or his foundation, Common continues to break new ground, and remains one of hip hop's most innovative, positive voices.

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