A treasure trove of history showcasing Black excellence
Preserving Culture
The Kennedy Archives™ is a treasure trove of history showcasing Black excellence in various forms of media. At a time of great cultural disruption, it is more important than ever to capture and preserve our history. On this website, there are documents in digital form for research purposes from the personal archives of cultural pioneers Janie Sykes-Kennedy and the late Dr. James Scott Kennedy, as well as contributions from other members of the illustrious Kennedy family. In development are also an interview series and online courses based on the first-hand insights from Janie. In the 1980s, she authored the book series EXCEL: Excellence in Black Organizations and Black Achievers, which grew to one million in print. Now, at 89 years old, she continues to perform, write and serve as a cultural consultant on projects.
Documents
Feb 5, 1958 – Seawanhaka (U.S.)
Tennis Queen Learns New Lesson Here
Sept 26, 1963 – The Voice (U.S.)
Dr. James Kennedy’s Freedom March Speech
Apr 17, 1964 – Kingsman (U.S.)
Negro Writers’ Works Dramatized by Ensemble
Nov 10, 1967 – Accra Daily Graphic (Ghana)
Delightful poetic night at drama studio
Apr 22, 1973 – Sunday Mail (Australia)
Being black is so vital
Aug 31, 1993 – The Standard (Kenya)
Love for African theatre
Featured Videos
Let America Be America Again
The Kennedy Archives™ presents Let America Be America Again, a performance piece of the Langston Hughes poem with three generations of the Sykes-Kennedy family: Janie Sykes-Kennedy, Sheila Kennedy Bryant, James Scott Kennedy, Jr., Daniel Marsh Kennedy, and Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy. Since Ms. Sykes-Kennedy was close friends with poet Langston Hughes, she provides thoughts on him and the piece as well.
© 2019 Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy. Part of The Kennedy Archives™
The Negro Mother
The Kennedy Archives™ presents The Negro Mother – an excerpt from a virtual Juneteenth workshop for the Child Center of NY featuring poetic performances by Janie Sykes-Kennedy on the Black Experience and a conversation moderated by Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy. Poets featured included Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, and Dr. James Scott Kennedy. The video excerpt features “The Negro Mother” by Langston Hughes.
Return To Senegal
The Kennedy Archives™ presents Return To Senegal. In 2010, President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal invited Janie Sykes-Kennedy to participate in the Third World Festival of Black Arts & Culture in Dakar to provide historical context and media commentary about arts and the African Diaspora given her participation in the First World Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar in 1966. She spoke to over 5,000 Senegalese before an Akon concert and was covered extensively by their media.
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