TCA Directors Attend SelectUSA Reception
On June 21, TCA Directors Louette Ragusa and Nilsu Goren attended the reception, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Turkish Council, welcoming the Turkish delegation to the 2018 SelectUSA Investment Summit.
TCA President Attends Book Discussion on DC Jazz
On June 24, TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy attended a public discussion on the recently published book, “DC Jazz – Stories of Jazz Music in Washington, DC”, with editor Maurice Jackson of Georgetown University and authors Lauren Sinclair of American University and Washington jazz disc jockey Rusty Hassan.
Discussion centered on the history of African Americans and jazz in Washington, including stories about the “profound impact” of Ahmet and Neshui Ertegun, sons of the Turkish ambassador, on the DC jazz scene. Maurice Jackson also highlighted that the Erteguns entertained black musicians at the Turkish Embassy and organized the first interracial concert in Washington despite segregation at the time. Jackson had previously participated in a TCA sponsored jazz program in Turkey.
TCA continues to build bridges with the African American community with its program on “African American – Turkish Connections Through the Arts” and the granting of scholarships to African American and other minority students for study abroad in Turkey.
