Community Lecture Series: Deon Brown
The Power of Listening: Sound, Memory, and Cultural Preservation
Friday, June 26th, 2026
[ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm ]
Can sound preserve history?
Artist, composer, and sound system builder Deon Brown believes it can.
In this lecture, Brown explores how music, listening practices, and sound systems can function as living archives—preserving cultural memory, strengthening community, and carrying stories across generations. Drawing from Black church traditions, Southern family histories, field recordings, and contemporary listening culture, he examines how sound shapes our understanding of identity, place, and belonging.
Through his recent projects—“Negro Night Prayers” and “Soul, Sonics, and Soundsystems” —Brown will share how personal memory, archival research, and artistic practice come together to create immersive public experiences. He'll discuss the history and cultural significance of Black sound system traditions, the role of listening in community-building, and why sound remains one of our most powerful tools for remembrance.
Whether you're interested in music, art, culture, technology, or storytelling, this conversation offers a compelling look at how the act of listening can become a form of preservation, healing, and collective imagination.