"You don't sing to feel better. You sing cause that's a way of understanding life."
- Gertrude "Ma" Rainey
Enjoy learning more about Ma Rainey through these outside resources.
Resources are aimed at middle and high school students, some may skew younger. I firmly believe that people 18+ years old (and all ages for younger content) can learn from these resources.
**NOTE: Netflix Film "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is rated 'R'. Anyone under the age of 17 should consult a parent or guardian before viewing the film. The film is not directly linked on this page.
Videos
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Written Resources
- New York Time's Article "Overlooked No More: Ma Rainey, the ‘Mother of the Blues’"
- The National Museum of African American History and Culture's catalog on Ma Rainey
- Black Past's Biography on Ma Rainey
- Britannica's Biography on Ma Rainey
- Thought Co's Biography on Ma Rainey
- Variety's "‘Ma Rainey’s’ Screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson: ‘Black Women Were Revolutionary’"
Images of Ma Rainey and Art Inspired by Ma Rainey
Image sources imbedded within the image.
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Reading List
- Bedtime Inspirational Stories: 50 Amazing Black People Who Changed the World, By L.A. Amber
- Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday, By Angela Davis
- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, by August Wilson
