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Sun Ra/Afro-Futurism/Jazz: A Music of the Spirit

Ahmed Abdullah, jazz trumpeter, adjunct professor at The New School, and former member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, leads a workshop on Sun Ra and the history of jazz.

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February 5, 2026, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
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Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, sixth floor
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Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff
RSVP

Hosted by: Kislak Center

A pamphlet reads "Sun Ra Research" in bold red and black, with a photograph of Sun Ra beneath it: a black man wearing a cape and an intricate hat, and holding a large round metallic object.

This workshop will engage with Sun Ra, philosopher of Afrofuturism and one of the most recognizable sonic architects of Afrofuturistic music and reflect on his legacy. It will also explore the history of jazz as a music of the spirit by looking at specific artists, male and female, from whose lives we can extract principles essential for creating music and thriving in the 21st century.

The workshop will be followed by a book talk based on Ahmed Abdullah’s 2023 memoir of more than two decades as a member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, A Strange Celestial Road. Register for the book talk separately.

Featured image: Sun Ra Research, Issue 23 (June 1999). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts; University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

 

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