Motown founder donates autobiography for course

Berry Gordy, founder of Motown Record Corporation, recently donated 68 original copies of his autobiography for a class on Motown. They will be distributed, free of charge, to students enrolled in the next offering of the course, in the summer of 2003. \nProfessor Charles Sykes, administrative director of the IU African-American Arts Institute in addition to teaching Motown, said Gordy's book, entitled "To be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown," has been a required text for the class since its inception in 1995.\nWhen the book went out of print, special permission was required to obtain copies. But this summer the complication was avoided when Gordy offered to donate the books. \nThe popular class, which students must often waitlist, celebrates the Detroit period, which spanned 1959 to 1972, of the Gordy's fabled record label, a time when the Motown sound was developed, Sykes said. \nThe course chronicles the "golden era" when acts such as the Supremes, the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Temptations ruled the charts. \nIn addition to studying the music, students gain perspective on the social implications of Motown music, which, Sykes said, reflects the issues facing African Americans during the turbulent civil rights era.\n"We look at the sociocultural issues," Sykes said. "We try to understand the interrelation of all the things that were going during the time of Motown."\nSykes said the music is as important as it was in the "golden era." He takes a proactive approach to getting students involved with the tunes by getting them out of their seats and teaching them the trademark dance steps of the Motown groups. \n"The music is very much a part of our lives today," Sykes said. "Students really enjoy the class and we dance."\nIn addition to the class, guest lecturers and visiting faculty offer students a way to better understand the music. Maxine Powell, original image consultant for Motown; Johnny Griffith, Motown keyboardist; and Esther Gordy, record keeper for the history of Motown, have all spent time on the IU campus.\nSykes, who is currently working on text detailing the history and importance of Motown, said his role as an academic doesn't prevent him from enjoying the music on a more basic level. \n"You can still groove," Sykes said.