Hip Hop Generation Chunk#3

Hip Hop Generation and Politics?
In the final chapters of "Hip Hop Generation" by Bakari Kitwana discusses the hip hop generation trying to get into the political stage. There are many actvist and groups in activsm trying to get the youth to vote and get into politics. There were movements like the Million Man March and The Million Youth March and rappers like Common, KRS-One, The Goodie Mob, etc. would give funding to these movements; even old generationers like Jesse Jackson and Danny Glover helps the hip hop generation to reach there cause. The activist group were the NOI (Nation Of Islam), CHHANGE (Conscious Hip Hop Activism Necessary for Global Empowerment), and of course the NAACP. These groups also fought to stop police brutality against; that was one of the things that was getting out of control. There are even Black police officers that beat black people. A man named DeLacy Davis founded an organization called B-CAP (Black Cops Against Police Brutality). He witnessed many police beatings but was afraid to do anything about. He was inspired to do this by a speech spoken by Dhoruba Bin Wahad, a former Black Panther. "I know there are Black police officers in this room. If you punks won't stand up and defend your community, at least give us the information we need to defend ourselves." These words gave him the courage to fight back against the abusive officers. Activist fought for many things, especially to get blacks into politics. Russell Simmons tired to get more blacks to go and vote democrat. Even though he wasn't successful he gave motivation to other rappers such as LL Cool J and Lil Kim to help him help the youth."Ninety percent of the racial debate is really about economics. If we frame the dicussion in terms of growth, jobs, the economy, we can move beyond the racial battleground."-Jesse Jackson. Bikari Kitwana goes deep into the hip hop generation providing anecdotes and asking the opinions of other hip hop generationers on the topics in which he discusses. This book gave me insight on our generation and the past we've had in the past and the ones we face now.
Vocabulary:None
Tone:Serious
Question: After reading Hip Hop Generation what do you think our generation has to do to fix our problems, if you believe their are any, and what will you do to get others to join?

Hip Hop Generation Chunk#2

In Bakari Kitwana's "Hip Hop Generation" he discusses the crisis Black men and Black women are in. In Chapter 4 "Where Did The Love Go" it talks about men and the names they call women: bitch, hoe, skank, chicken head, etc... "The use of the terms nigga, bitch, hoe, by Black men and women to address one another has permeated our colloquial language." There is no more love between African American men and women anymore. "That Black males' sexist attitudes and gender conflicts have persisted as one of rap's dominant themes for more than a decade suggest the extent to which these issues resonate with young black men." Rap and the gender war go hand and hand. He goes on to talk about the sexual abuse case that Mike Tyson and Tupac Shakur were involved in. "Both cases cut the core our generation's thoughts about gender." These two African American were heroes in the African American Community. They both went to jail ,but got even more love for what happened, they only lost respect from a little few. Many people have the same views on the gender issue as the hip hop/rap artists. In Chapter 5 "Young, Don't Give A Fuck, And Black:Black Gangster Films" Bakari Kitwana talks about all the "hood" movies made in the 1990's beginning with "Boyz N Da Hood." These movies portray the lives of young African Americans and the choices they have to make to survive in such an environment. There are many movies like this such as "Menace II Society", "Harlem Nights," "Juice," and "New Jack City." After the movie is released someone makes another one that's even more violent than the last. "Aside from rap artists, films released between 1991 and 2001 that depicted gun-toting, ruthless, violent, predatory Blacks killing other Blacks have been the most effective medium for defining and disseminating the new Black youth culture." Have you heard someone say "Why you gotta act black?" ? What does "acting black" mean. It means be ghetto, ignorant, arrogant, be loud and dumb. This is how all the other races see us as. Instead of becoming successful by getting an education and graduating from college, most Black people would rather sell drugs, have sex with hos, and be like the "Boyz N Da Hood" which is very sad. No wonder we don't get any respect from the other races...
Tone: Serious
Vocabulary: None
Questions: How and what kind of influence does hip hop have on the black youth?
If hip hop was never created, do you think Black people would be in the situation their in today? Explain.

Hip Hop Generation Chunk#1

"Hip Hop Generation" by Bakari Kitwana discuss the new generation and the relation between crime and hip hop. On the cover of this book it says, "Young blacks and the crisis in African American Culture." In Chapters 1-3 it talks about the race war between whites and blacks and the emergence of hip hop and the new generation. It begins with talking about the two biggest rappers in the 1990's, 2pac and Notorious B.I.G. and the effect they had on hip hop. They inspired other hip hop generationers to finish what they started. They go on to talk about the unemployment rate in the African American community. Black people never applied themselves when it comes to education; their either playing pro basketball or selling drugs and even when they go to college they still get low paying jobs because no one would consider hiring them. Blacks has been thought of inferior to whites for years. It is because of that that their were so amny riots throughout the 90's. Police beatings led to many of them. The police would beat on blacks for parking violations or just for no apparent reason. As a result, many hip hop generationers would start to kill or beat whites in riots. They were also cracking down on drugs but did nothing about the poverty situation. Blacks were taken to jail for suspection of drug possession and most of them didn't have any. The new hip hop generation faced many problems in the 90's: drugs, riots, poverty, education, police. These are only some of the problems that are in African American communities.
Tone:serious
Vocabulary:None
Question:Do you think Hip Hop has an effect on crime in the streets? Explain your answer.

The Coolhunt

"The Coolhunt" by Malcolm Gladwell discusses who decides what is cool to wear or to have. A "coolhunt" is finding out what's in style-what today's teens are wearing-and making a product out of what they observe or "the collection of spontaneous observations and predictions that differ from one moment to the next." Two women named Dee Dee Gordon and Baysie Wightman are on the coolhunt in this story. "She had been out in Los Angeles and had kept seeing the white teenage girls dressing up like cholos, Mexican Gangsters, in tight white tank tops known as 'wife beaters,' with a bra strap hanging out, and long shorts and tube socks and shower sandals." This is where Dee Dee got her shower sandals idea; she observed the teens; what they wore, how they wore it, and the colors they wore. These hunters watch the places where things are cool: Los Angeles, New York, Dallas; or sometimes even other countries such as Japan. The coolhunters goes and asks different teenagers about their look and how often they buy it. The hunt can be about any type of clothing or any other trend. After they get back from the coolhunt they sit with marketing experts, designers. "...she sits down with marketing experts and sales representatives and designers, and reconnects them to the street, making sure they have the right shoes at the right place." Coolhunters goes to other hunters with their ideas and together they make a better version of that product. Malcolm Gladwell intoduces many coolhunters and coolhunting techniques. Coolhunters will always be around, watching, looking for the next best thing.
Tone:humorous, satire
Vocabulary:None

Marijuana

In Stuart Taylor Jr.'s article "Liberal Drug Warriors! Conservative Pot-Coddlers!", in the Atlantic's June 14, 2005 issue, he discusses how the Supreme Court is trying to make medical marijuana illegal in all the 11 states where they are legal, including California. "The Supreme Court's decision to allow federal prosecution of medical marijuana users was less about medical marijuana than about congressional power to override state law." The Supreme Court is trying to penalize the many AIDS patients, cancer patients and others with severe medical ilnesses that use medical marijuana to ease the pain and symptoms of illness. There are many patients that would die if they stop using medical marijuana. The fight in the "drug-war" are effecting those who use medical marijuana to escape the excruciating pain they have to endure and for their suffering; despite this fact the Supreme Court continues to try and make marijuana illegal in all states in the United States.
S:The Supreme Court and Medical Marijana
O:The Supreme Court's actions to make medical marijuana illegal.
A:All of those who use medical marijuana to ease their pain and the Atlantic subscribers.
P:To show how the Supreme Court is trying to use their power to override state governments. That their war on drugs are stopping those that need medical marijuana.
S:Stuart Taylor Jr.
Tone:Serious
Vocabulary:None
Questions:Where do you stand on the fight against marijuana? Do you support the Supreme Court? Why or why not?
If you use medical marijuana, what would you do if the made it illegal? explain your answer.

The Culture Of Fear Chunk #3

''The Culture Of Fear", by Barry Glassner, in its final chapters it talks about the major things Americans fear. Things like plane wrecks, martians, prejudice people, etc. He begins with the Americans fears' of black men. There are more dangers to black men than white men. ''Black men are four times more likely to be infected with the AIDS virus and twice as likely to suffer from prostate cancer and heart disease than are white men." Between 1980 and 1995 suicides went up 146% among African-American teens. White men have less problems than black men. He said that a College educated black men earn only as much as white men with high school diplomas. He goes on to talk about drugs, one of the major problems happening in this country. "Smack is Back"-the return of heroine, roofie, and other deadly drugs. These drugs are spreading especially teens and young adults. The media talked about a girl named Miki Koontz. She was a homecoming queen, cheerleader, and an above-average student who was on her way to college, that is until she inexplicably became a crackhead and lost her life. She was shot in the head with a rifle because a drug dealer thought she was snitching to the police. He said drugs are returning and killing more than ever and soon drugs will rule this country. Another thing he said Americans fear are flying; their afraid of having a wreck. To avoid plane wreck go to a trustworthy airline, stay away from small planes or a plane in bad shape. A lot of people die because of these reasons, but it is still the safest way to travel. He talks about people who try to be cheap and go to a cheap airline. That's one of major mistakes; 7 out 10 planes will crash. Other than these fears there is one fear that's just ridiculous; martians. He starts to use sarcasm on this subject. These scares come from television shows like ''War Of The Worlds" and books like ''The Invasion From Mars." His final thoughts on these subject is ''That we waste tens of billions of dollars on thing like road rage, metophorical illnesses, and other unimportant things. At election we can choose candidates that proffer programs rather that scares. Or we can go on believing in martian invaders."
Vocabulary:None
Tone:Serious, Sarcastic
Discussion Questions:What is your greatest fear? Does it relate what Barry Glassner wrote? How did this fear come to be?