This is a huge question. Black Studies in its origins was about creating historical awareness, redefining and developing what knowledge is, being inspired by as well as inspiring local black communities, and confronting White imperialism head on with undeniable data not politics as it relates to addressing the notions of oppression perpetuated by the capitalist class. One highlight of Brown's Dude, Where's My Black Studies Department, was his discussion on the Malcolm X Consciousness Conference organized by Laney College in Oakland, California. He made reference to it as the new Black Studies (p.113).
It appears that he described it as such because it was a return to the founding tenets of Black Studies which was to insure that there was a community connection. Moreover, Brown discussed how some of the panelists, some who were former Black Panthers suggested that each Black Studies department must have a part of their program that channels students back to their community to do work. Is that what's missing? Will that create the awareness that black students of the Hip Hop and post-Hip Hop generations need in order to be spirited to address the issues that are impacting impoverished African American communities today? Or is it just a fleeting notion, a fleeting notion of the belief that today's black student can find the throwback spirit of struggles that led to the development of the original Black Studies. What if, by chance, they found that spirit of yesteryear, would that be enough to revitalize Black America?
I suggest that what is missing today is the "moral panic" of White America. History has shown that speaking truth to power does not work, nor does "in all deliberate speed." Brown made reference to Cornel West's assertions that young people are sleepwalking intellectually, and that he need to use a powerful oral tradition to wake them up and connect them with the democratic process necessary to change the conditions that plague the black community. West used Hip Hop as a way to connect. Is Hip Hop an answer, or has Hip Hop been co-opted and commercialized to a point that makes it's agency ineffective? Is there something else on the horizon?
When University of Illinois IPOWERED civic engagement scholars from Dr. Patterson's Afro 498 course, participated in a community based discussion on the redevelopment efforts in a North Champaign neighborhood, they immediately responded with fervor and outcry against the proposed plan, and used the verbiage of gentrification to describe what was going to happen if the residents in this historic African American community signed on to the plan as presented. As a result, members from the steering committee came to class to dialogue. The conversation centered around how to develop the space without creating yet another example of Black Americans being displaced for the sake of progress. It was the spirit of those students, graduate and undergraduate, black and white that challenged the city's proposed plan and policies through the historic tenet of community engagement from a Black Studies department within a predominately white institution.
Noted black scholar, Manning Marable, made the point before he passed away that in order for Black Studies to have meaning in the 21st Century, it must be digitized. How do we digitize black studies? who will create the code for syncing the oral traditions to the legacies of the black lived experience? Who will create the code that breaths life into the print traditions that binds so many black scholars? How do we scale up Black Studies in a traditional, print based environment. An environment that dictates what knowledge is and maintains the mechanisms that gate keeps that knowledge with promotion and tenure. How do we merge indigenous knowledge into the equation? How is this measured, who measures it? who determines it's success or failure? These are just a few of the tough questions that need answers if there is to be a New Black Studies in the 21st century.
I think that hip-hop has become very commercialized in that if you not talking about money you won't get any airplay which is not acceptable to most emcees (which is why some sellout and continue the trend). Bringing hip-hop into the schools as a way to teach about history and culture is prob the most effective way to breathe life into Black studies programs, perhaps educated African Americans should create their own schools within their neighborhoods in order to teach the way they want to instead of trying to work at institutions where(I hate to use this phrase) "the white man" has the majority control, then the issue wouldn't be how do we sell hip-hop in classrooms to the higher ups. Then the results of the students who would start to excel in school would speak for its self. The black panthers believed in having their own communities separate from the white ones, so the goal should be to create communities where excellence is the goal, and not shallow things like cars and hoes, cause if excellence is the goal then all other things will fall in line. I have no idea if I answered the question at all btw. lol
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dr. William M. Patterson that black Studies in its origins was about creating historical awareness, redefining and developing what knowledge is, being inspired by as well as inspiring local black communities, and confronting White imperialism head on with undeniable data not politics as it relates to addressing the notions of oppression perpetuated by the capitalist class. If that wasn’t the original intent for creating black studies then Black Studies would be meaningless today. I agree with Roby with using Hip-Hop in schools to teach about our history and culture is the most effective way to breath life into Black studies because in my opinion besides computer and technology, hip-hop the next thing that’s going in America. I just don’t think that we should create our own schools within our neighborhoods because it will create too much separation between whites and blacks and not too long ago that’s what we have overcome. We don’t need to go back to that non-sense.
ReplyDeleteOverall, there are some comments that I agree with in addition to those that I do not. I agree with Brown when he stated that today's black studies programs need to get back to their original motive of making a difference within their local communities. However, each program needs to develop a unique plan of action in order to address the issues that their surrounding community faces.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Roby that Hip-Hop is the oral tradition necessary to connect today's hip-hop generation to the democratic processes necessary to change the conditions that plague the black community, which Cornel West spoke of. In contrast, I do not believe that creating our own community, similar to one presented by the Black Panthers, would only position us to inflict the same oppression upon those that are deemed inferior according to the standards of a revamped society. Recently, I learned that the "Black Agenda" that we typically hear about from African-American minorities does not refer to plans specifically aimed towards the enhancement of African-Americans, but history has showcased that when the African-American community fosters change, it benefits, as well as impacts, all members of society. With that being said, if implemented appropriately, Hip-Hop can be used to "breathe fire into black studies programs" with the intentions of making a difference within our communities.
I agree with Nino and others that Hip-Hop can be used as an approach to connect with youth. We must not make the assumption that all youth listen to Hip-Hop, but understand that music can serve as a powerful medium. It can serve as a tool that can connect youth with history and to explore and critique components of their culture and lived experience.
ReplyDeleteAs it relates to the Black Panthers their focus on building strong communities was not simply for the purpose of simply self segregating, but for the purpose of taking control of their communities and creating institutions that properly developed and assisted their community in an effective manner. The purpose of their schools were to teach knowledge of self and the history of their people that was not be appreciated, taught or given lip-service at the time. Their attempt was a holistic attempt at controlling their own community. Their programs and institutions are documented in The Dr. Huey P. Newton's Foundation 2008 "The Black Panther Party: Service To The People Programs". The purpose of the programs were to increase awareness and consciousness. Hip-Hop can definitely serve as a tool to ignite the fire that many are suggesting but it must be done so creatively, respectfully and truthfully, because simply telling someone to use Hip-Hop in their class will not necessarily be enough to make a connection.
J. Williams said it best in that hip-hop is a powerful medium for the up and coming generation. I consider myself and activist, in that I choose to engage the material that I learn in Afro classes and work to make an active change in the community. This is what the original black studies departments were all about, and should continue to be about. The issues that face African-Americans in educational, economic, familial, etc. terms stems from the discriminatory infrastructure of our nations institutions, laws and practices. The power that we have as students is immeasurable, so although I believe that a larger attack on the system must take place- a movement amongst our generation on a grassroots level needs to as well and hip-hop will definitely be the catalyst for this.
DeleteThinking about Cornel West's statement about the sleepwalking intellectual, I completely agree. I feel like what is different is that during the civil rights movement and prior there was more of a collectivist sense of community within the individualist oriented American society. I feel like the value of "community" is changing and as changed within black American culture leaving a notion of every man for themselves as opposed to a collective resistance against injustice in the black community. Hip-hop is a uniting tool. The new black studies must always incorporate the community, I agree that it must become digital in some aspect.
I agree with many of the above comments. I think Roby puts it well by suggesting that Hip Hop is the most effective way of breathing life back into the Black Studies departments. It is a current medium in society and individuals can easily relate to it which I feel is the main factor. Hip hop can be used most importantly to connect the youth to their culture and their history. As J. Williams says, we don't want to make the assumption that everyone listens to hip hop, but even those who don't- hip hop can promote powerful messages which are eventually heard by all in some way or another as hip hop is an expressive tool. As Nino suggests, I don't think that creating a separate community will be beneficial in anyway. If anything I think this notion is a step backwards into problems of the past, uprooting separation of the races which society has tried to move on from.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that there is a lack of "moral panic" amongst white society, because the majority of the population believe that civil rights is a thing of the past and the issues have been dealt with. In order to overcome this, I agree with others when they state that Hip-Hop is the key to rejuvenating awareness and black studies departments because we are constantly surrounded by it. I think the way it is integrated into departments and communities would need a lot of thought though, because in my opinion, a lot of modern Hip-Hop music has lost its values. In terms of fact that we are sleepwalking intellectually, I think this statement has a lot of truth. In college, we tend to stick to what we are told to do, rather than thinking for ourselves and as Brigitte said, there is no sense of community. Finally, as Hannah stated above, creating a separate community is definitely a step backwards because I think integration is the way forward, not segregation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the above posters. However I esspecially agreeded with Roby.I think Hip hop is the cutting edge tool for breathing life back into studies in general but in particular. In the mainstream hiphop has found a place in almost every area of entertainment and society. You hear rap songs on the broadcasts of the superbowl and played at baseball games. Phrases created by the hiphop culture eventually invade the culture as a whole. From Sesame Street programing to Nickelodeaons Fresh Beat Band, Hip hop is being used as a upbeat and novel way to educate young minds. I have seen videos of hip hop math on you tube, along with testimonials of how this (oral) way of learning is raising test scores. Although we dont want to assume all youth listen to hip hop as nino Pointed out. We aslo want to be aware of all the ways hip hop is thrust upon us in ways we dont even notice because it (hiphop) has been woven so tightly into certian aspects of society that we cant tell the difference anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe moral panic that exists today seems to be "when am I gonna get mine cause I deserve it!" As long as we are all fighting over slim resources we will create battles along racial lines because one historically we have a backdrop for this battle and two when under stress and placing blame we always look to scapegoats. The gov could do one of two things
ReplyDelete1. Spread money out so we don't fight each other for it
2. create a faux alien attack so we are all forced to unite against a common enemy and bond through life, death and all that existential stuff.
I don't necessarily think integration is good for the psyche of black folks all the time. Take U of I yeah we are integrated but with like 1% black folks. This creates stereotype threat, anxiety, unnecessary racial pressures and tokenism. Since Doing my research in undergrad on the Weather Underground I am a staunch believer in white folks taking responsibility for their less then open-minded brethren. We need to focus on changing white minds. And stop worrying about what black folks do when they gather for fellowship. Whites have always had a fear of Black folks gathering social momentum.
Nino has a good point about exclusivity. We don't want hip hop to become elitist.