This week, Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts hosted a celebratory event honoring the musical legacy and impact of singer Curtis Mayfield featuring the late singer’s son, Cheaa Mayfield, legendary producer Jimmy Jam, and producers of the documentary “The Makings of Curtis Mayfield.” 

More than 100 guests filled the Myrtilla Miner School of Education’s auditorium for a screening of “The Makings of Curtis Mayfield,” a riveting deep dive into the musician’s career that spanned more than four decades. The documentary, directed by Grammy and Oscar-winning musician H.E.R., chronicles Mayfield’s music history starting with his time as the lead singer of the group The Impressions and traverses through his prolific solo career. In addition to archival photos and footage of Mayfield’s performances and interviews, the documentary features a mélange of testimonies from musicians and filmmakers such as Dr. Dre, Stephen Marley, Maxwell, Mary J. Blige, Lena Waithe, and Robert Glasper on Mayfield’s impact in music and film. Cheaa Mayfield joined the screening and expressed how proud he felt to see his father’s legacy continue to live on.  

“Every time I see that film, I get a little emotional and I get goosebumps,” Cheaa said at event. “It’s been almost 25 years since I actually heard my dad’s voice, so every time I see video clips and hear him speaking, it’s really emotional for me.”  

With the documentary, Cheaa shared with the audience that his goal is to “bring the name and the music of Curtis Mayfield to new generations.” 

Inspiring the Next Generation of Creatives 

Following the screening, Howard professor and alum Marcus Johnson (B.A. ’93) moderated a discussion with Cheaa, Jimmy Jam, documentary producer Peter Afterman, and editor and producer Mari Keiko Gonzalez.  

During the discussion, Johnson, who teaches entertainment law at the university, leaned on the industry professionals to educate students in the audience on the business aspects of a career in music and filmmaking.  

“In the classroom, we’ve spent a lot of time on intellectual property and the idea of a copywrite registration or a trademark being a physical manifestation of our ideas,” said Johnson. “You need to be a student of your industry comprehensively and wholeheartedly. You need to know everything, and you need to understand things like sales and marketing, operations, management, estates, and business development.” 

Peter Afterman was an executive producer for the James Brown biopic “Get on Up” starring the late Howard Alum Chadwick Boseman and worked on other projects such as “The Trials of Chicago 7,” the miniseries “Genius: Aretha,” and the film “Juno.” He shared how he worked with Cheaa, who oversees the Curtis Mayfield estate, to produce the documentary.  

“It’s a matter of taking care of the business [side of] things first,” said Afterman. “I reached out to Cheaa and his lawyer and made a deal for all of the rights to make the documentary and a deal to collaborate with them. My pitch to Cheaa was to get a young artist to direct [the film] … someone who also loves [Curtis Mayfield's] music.”  

Mari Keiko Gonzalez, who worked on the docuseries “James Brown: Say It Loud,” discussed her role as the documentary’s editor, saying that “in the film, you’ll notice we go in and out of natural recordings  — things you hear on the radio — and multitrack recordings. I can pick and decide what you want to hear as the audience. Documentary films are so creative for an editor.” 

Jimmy Jam, who was featured in “The Makings of Curtis Mayfield,” reflected on how Curtom Records, the record label Mayfield founded in 1968, inspired him and his producing partner, Terry Lewis, to establish their label, Perspective Records.  

“Our record company was inspired by the Black owned [music] companies such as Motown, Philadelphia International, and Curtom Records,” he said. “[Mayfield] was able to make the records he wanted to make. … It took all of the constraints off. Today, the opportunity to be nimble and to make the records the way you want to make them, I think, is probably at an all-time high.” 

The panelists also discussed the importance of resource sharing and community building as creatives.   

“The community building that you do and the resources that you share with one another are so important for growth,” said Gonzalez. “You need to understand your value and your currency as a creative and a businessperson.” 

Jimmy Jam advised the audience to replace the word “waiting” with “preparing” and to always be prepared for all opportunities. 

“You’re not waiting for someone to give you a break — you’re preparing for someone to give you a break.” 

Feature photo courtesy of Chad Eric Smith of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.