communities and institutions in Madison. co unities and ins itutions in Madison.
Davis says his primary goal in teaching the course has been to “make people realize how negative attitudes can wreck people’s lives – not only the recipient but the perpetrator. Racism is like a disease. A major goal is to educate the mind and heal the heart.” After 16 years, the course has had a positive impact on the campus in changing attitudes, Davis and others say. It would be dif cult to gauge how much impact, although Davis notes, “My students do spread the word around campus.” Craig Werner, chairman of the UW Department of African American studies, says Davis is “a terri c teacher, along with being a towering gure in the music world.” “What matters most deeply is that Richard makes a profound impact with his vision of what race, culture and life are all about. He’s an elder; our teaching world is not built around elders because we’re a youth-obsessed culture that confuses youth with vibrancy. He certainly presents an alternative take on that. Through who he is, he has a deep impact on individual students.” Now that he has retired as a music professor, Davis will have more time for composing and playing his own music. He already has several concert trips to Europe scheduled. “I go where I am needed,” says Davis, who turned 86 in April. He also plans to continue teaching the Institute classes from his home. He’s having some sweatshirts printed, bearing a quotation from the founder of the Institute, Nathan Rutstein: “Prejudice is an emotional commitment to ignorance.” Davis says his primary goal in teaching the course has b en to “ ake people realize how negative a itudes can wreck people’s lives – not only the recipient but the perpetrator. Racis is like a disease. A major goal is to educate the mind and heal the heart.” After 16 years, the course has had a positive impact on the ca pus in changing a itudes, Davis and others say. It would be dif cult to gauge how much impact, although Davis notes, “ y students do spread the word around ca pus.” Craig Werner, chairman of the U Department of African A erican studies, says Davis is “a te ri c teacher, along with being a towering gure in the usic world.” “ hat ma ters most d eply is that Richard makes a profound impact with his vision of what race, culture and life are all about. He’s an elder; our teaching world is not built around elders because we’re a youth-obse sed culture that confuses youth with vibrancy. He certainly presents an alternative take on that. Through who he is, he has a d ep impact on individual students.” Now that he has retired as a music profe sor, Davis will have more time for co posing and playing his own music. He already has several concert trips to Europe scheduled. “I go where I a n eded,” says Davis, who turned 86 in April. He also plans to continue teaching the Ins itute cla ses fro his ho e. He’s having so e sweatshirts printed, bearing a quotation fro the founder of the Ins itute, Nathan Rutstein: “Prejudice is an e otional co itment to ignorance.”
INFLUENCED BY A TEACHER Years ago, a masterful teacher made a difference in Davis’s own life: it was Walter H. Dyett, a longtime music teacher at DuSable High School in Chicago, who mentored a long list of soon-to-be-famous musicians and vocalists. Dyett insisted that his students learn both classical music and jazz. In 1948, when Davis started auditioning for classical orchestras as an 18-year old bassist in his native Chicago, opportunities were rarely offered to African-American classical musicians, regardless of their quali cations. But, “when I got to New York, I realized there were orchestras there that I was welcome to play in” and he did, while also building his reputation as a jazz composer and player. Before UW recruited Davis to teach European classical music and bass performance, he lived in New York City and performed under the batons of some great composers and conductors, including Igor Stravinsky, George Szell, Pierre Boulez, Leopold Stokowski and Leonard Bernstein. He also played bass on landmark jazz albums by Bobby Hutcherson, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones and others. In the 1960s, iconic saxophonist John Coltrane tried to recruit Davis to join his band. Davis has also recorded a number of highly-regarded jazz albums as leader of his own bands. Aside from his music, Davis has made some of his most signi cant impact in Madison by teaching a weekly, interactive course in his own home. The course on Healing Racism was developed by the Institute for the Healing of Racism, a nonpro t social justice organization with more than 200 chapters in several counties. The mission is to raise consciousness about the history and pathology of racism and help heal racism in individuals, I FL E CE BY A TE C ER Years ago, a masterful teacher made a di ference in Davis’s own life: it was Walter H. Dye t, a longtime usic teacher at DuSable High Sch ol in Chicago, who mentored a long list of s on-to-be-fa ous usicians and vocalists. Dye t insisted that his students learn both cla sical music and ja z. In 1948, when Davis started auditioning for cla sical orchestras as an 18-year old ba sist in his native Chicago, o portunities were rarely o fered to African-A erican cla sical musicians, regardle s of their quali cations. But, “when I got to New York, I realized there were orchestras there that I was welco e to play in” and he did, while also building his reputation as a ja z co poser and player. Before U recruited Davis to teach European cla sical music and ba s performance, he lived in New York City and performed under the batons of so e great co posers and conductors, including Igor Stravinsky, George Szell, Pie re Boulez, Leopold Stokowski and Leonard Bernstein. He also played ba s on land ark ja z albu s by Bo by Hutcherson, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones and others. In the 1960s, iconic saxophonist John Coltrane tried to recruit Davis to join his band. Davis has also recorded a nu ber of highly-regarded ja z albu s as leader of his own bands. Aside fro his music, Davis has made so e of his ost signi cant impact in Madison by teaching a w ekly, interactive course in his own ho e. The course on Healing Racis was developed by the Ins itute for the Healing of Racis , a nonpro t social justice organization with more than 2 0 chapters in several counties. The mi sion is to raise consciousne s about the history and pathology of racis and help heal racis in individuals,
“Richard makes a profound impact with his vision of what race, culture and life are all about.” - Craig Werner, chairman, Department of African American Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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