Black History Month Freedom Fighters/Music Artists

N!gg@$ and B!tche$

We had a discussion about the use of oppressive words in Akom's class. Are they words that aim to dehumanize others? or is their modern day use a resistant way to re-write the script that oppressors have used against us? I believe that language is power. When we use these terms to address people in our communities we are asserting individualistic power. Ade had a good example of a brotha saying "i'ma shoot you brotha." It doesn't assert power because he is trying to kill an equal. Or the classic, "I'm Rick James B****." Rick James is asserting his power over women. This power is individualistic. If we use the terms "King" and "Queen" we are using community uplifting words. We are saying that we love ourselves and we love our people. What are your thoughts?

Hegemony-Domination with Consent

We have been talking a lot about hegemony in our class discussions. We have a very small population of wealthy, white people who run the world. They control the institutions of housing, law, education, health care, finances, etc. How do their corporations get you to participate in your own oppression?

Silence the Violence

Yesterday our class met with Rekia's class. She played the song Strange Fruit, Nina Simone's version. We talked about the lynchings of Black people and how many Black men were lynched because of the often false accusations of raping white women. The point that I also wanted to drive home about lynchings is that they were family affairs. White mothers, fathers, and children attended the murders of Black people. In Akom's class discussion about youth activism, Donshenya turned our discussion toward how we can end the violence in our community. I have been thinking about guns and how they have been used historically for oppression. They are machines of cowardice. They are tools used to separate one human being from his or her prey. Given the historical context for violence towards Black people, why are we killing each other? Was violence less prevalent in Black and Brown communities when they had a common enemy of white supremacy?

Poverty of the Mind

We just read the article from Orlando Patterson, a Black Harvard professor of sociology, called "Poverty of the Mind" where he was discussing the "cool-pose culture." He says that many young black men are basically frontin whereas their white counterparts know when to turn off the 50 Cent and open up the SAT book. He is wondering how the Black youth are going to be able to contribute to society later on. He believes that young people need to take more responsibility for their actions. What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree or disagree with Patterson? Is Hip Hop chronicling the times or is it controlling young minds? Do you think this "cool-pose culture" has an effect on women and people of other races?