Today’s conversation is with creative director, and architectural archivist Jerald “Coop” Cooper. Coop is the founder of Hood-century Modern — an Instagram account that sparked a preservation movement by highlighting the iconic and unique designs of mid-century buildings in Black neighborhoods; connecting modern architecture to Black culture. A hip-hop aficionado and curious soul, Coop reminds us to get in touch with our spirit, take ownership of our neighborhood, and challenges us to develop a deeper understanding of how design affects our everyday experience. 

In today’s conversation we explore our relationship to land, the importance of being attuned to spirit, what architects can learn from hip-hop, and the importance of not just repping your block, but understanding how it was made.

Things mentioned

College Hill, OH 

Maria Montessori Creator of Montessori School Structure

Buckminster Fuller - Architect

Molefi Kete Asante - Professor & Philosopher

Robert Moses - Urban Planner

What to read

Beloved by Toni Morrison

R. Buckminster Fuller: Pattern-Thinking by Daniel López-Pérez and R Buckminster Fuller

Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change  by Molefi Kete Asante

Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal by Julia Dolan, Sara Krajewski, Bobby Martin, Hank Willis Thomas (Photographer)

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone

What to listen to

This Can’t Be Life - Jay-Z

Get By - Talib Kweli

Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth - 24-Carat Black

The Heat is On - The Isley Brothers

Who to follow

Follow Jerald “Coop” Cooper on IG @hoodmidcenturymodern

You can also find more of Hood Century here.

This conversation was recorded on August 13th, 2022.

Host: Dario Calmese 

Producer: Coniqua Johnson 

Visual Art Direction and Designs: 

River Wildmen, AfroVisualism, Adam Selah, Will Domingue

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Bookings: K.T. Thompson

Original Music composed by Adam Radice

Audio Edited by Adam Radice

Visit us at blackimagination.com