The Culture of African American
Content
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop by Jasmine Floyd
Part One I am intrigued by young black men. Their culture, persona, and contextof µbeing¶ just fascinates me. I have been with the same male for almost 5 years, and time and time again, I find myself questioning why he behaves in the manner he does. Adding to his complexity, is his love and utmost respect for hip-hop. No matter where we are, what we are doing, or who is around, I can always count on him to be pre-occupied with music. He is always doing one of four things: writing in his notepad app on his phone, downloading, listening to, or watching [new] music, updating himself on some relevant hip-hop news, or rapping to himself or aloud. I used to get frustrated because it seemed to me that hip-hop was the only thing that he was concerned with, and I wouldfoolishly refer to it as his hobby or past time. I used to say things to him such as ³I want you to go to the studio with your friends and have fun,´ and he would always get mad, but I never really understood why. I figured that since he was not using rap as an avenue to success, i.e. make millions of dollars, then it was simply something that he enjoyed doing. Luckily, he does not live his life like the characters that are rapped about in popular hip-hop songs today. He works full-time and when he is not at work, he is out somewhere playing video games, or just relaxing with friends. So from my point of view, he is doing quite fine for himself. But what about the young males that love hip-hop just as much as my mate, but are not as fortunate? What about the young males that cannot obtain jobs and therefore resort to making money through alternate means? What about the young males that seem to have no respect for
Floyd - 2
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop authority, the law, or society in general? Why do these males sell drugs, express themselves violently, and view women as objects to use instead of beings to honor? Personally, I do not believe that all young urban males that listen to hip-hop act in this manner, but society and the media will lead you to believe otherwise. I decided to do a bit of general research on the reality of black males in America to see if I could find out why. I ran into a number of statistics and findings that further promoted the notion that many young black men are as violent, dangerous, and irresponsible as thecharacters from music they listen to. Statistics that I found: ³Homicide is the second leading cause of death among persons 15-24 years of age and is the leading cause of death for African American and Latino youths in this age group´ (Bennet & Fraser, 94). ³A young Black male in America is more likely to die from gun fi re than was any soldier in Vietnam´(Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America). ³Blacks, who comprise only 13% of the population and account for about 13% of drug users, constitute 35% of all arrests for drug possession, 55% of all convictions on those charges, and 74% of all those sentenced to prison for possession´(Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America).
³In 2000, 65% of Black male high-school dropouts in their 20¶s were jobless ² that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72%, compared with 34% of White and 19% of Hispanic dropouts. Evenwhen high-school graduates
Floyd - 3
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop were included, half of Black men in their 20¶s were jobless in 2004, up from 46% in 2000´ (Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America). I found a bunch of statistics that supported the notion that black men in America are not and have limited chances of being successful. But in most of those documents, what I did not find were explanations explaining why. Luckily, in a couple of sources, I came across a few paragraphs that made perfect sense to me: ³Drug addiction, drug trafficking, exploitive and hostile relationships with law enforcement and other authorities, and other types of antisocial behaviors are collectively symptomatic of growing social disorganization. In socially disorganized communities, residents often view the larger society as uncaring, intolerant, and hostile´(Bennet Jr. & Fraser, 2000). We have known for some time now that the inner-city African American communities lack an actual sense and understanding of the term community. There are no resources, minimal job opportunities, and great need for security and comfort within these neighborhoods. Therefore, these communities operate outside the normal constraints of traditional society. They have their own codes, rules, understandings, and understandably negative outlook on the larger and more dominant society. ³Neighborhoods provide settings that differentially promote critical developmental processes, which in turn, shape a child¶s sense of wellbeing and self efficacy. Social developmental process that occur through involvement with parents, teachers, and peers«are based on webs of strong and weak social ties that provide role models and rewards for prosocial behavior. These processes are disrupted when fear of victimization, anger, and pessimism break down social cohesion´(Bennet Jr. & Fraser, 2000).
Floyd - 4
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop So when these neighborhoods do not own up to their social responsibility to these young black males, and public schools fail to educate and uplift these young urban males, society has indeed failed them. And because society has failed them, they are angry. And no longer is there anything stopping them from going back into their communities and contributing (positively but most often negatively) in any manner that they feel will result in profits and success for themselves. These young men are angry for a number of reasons. ³In its simplest form anger is the normal emotional response to a blocked goal. Often, if a person¶s goal remains blocked over time, they will begin to consider the possibility of failure and so experience fear, and when we are fear we also lash out in anger´ (Leary, 2005). So how does this realization bridge a connection to modern hip-hop? In the media, all one sees is a stereotypical image of the African American male. This male is dangerous, uncivilized, lazy (for not making money through traditional means), uneducated but skilled, and a career thug. This µprototypical¶ male has somehow become the embodiment of mainstream hip-hop. But all of the rappers we see on today are very successful! They have racks of money, multiple cars, jewelry, and handfuls of women to choose from. So how are these males able to relate to these men making millions of dollars, driving nice cars, and living in mansions on the hill? ³The media is the lens through which people view themselves. Through the media, individuals with vacant esteem not only recognize their own impotence but also show their group and community¶s lack of power and efficacy´(Leary, 2005). The popular rappers and hip-hop moguls are the only ³positive´ images of successful black men that these young men can relate to. They cannot relate to the doctors, lawyers, and businessman, just as most of these white
Floyd - 5
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop collar professionals have made no attempts to relate to them. Hip-hop is what they see, and for many, hip-hop is all they have. It becomes their voice, their hope, their hope, their lifestyle. Part Two The challenges that I faced while completing this assignment were simplistic, but complicated matters quite substantially. Initially, I did not know where to start with my project. All I knew was that I wanted to focus on the persona of young urban black males, but had nothing in mind in regards to specificity. I struggled with an overarching topic because I did not want to report on a topic that portrayed young urban males in the same negative light that society subjects them to on a daily basis. I started searching ERIC using the terms black, male, and education. Then I substituted education for prison. And finally after finding a few more articles, prison was replaced with hiphop. Now that I¶m writing up this reflection, I wish I would have took my research one step further and used the term µfuture¶ as one of my search terms as well²just to see what type of results were rendered. As far as school, urban schools in particular and society, I¶m not really sure how to express my feelings. It is bad enough that it is being noted in literature, reports, and dissertations that public schools are failing males of color. But to hear young males that I interact with on a daily basis admit to me that they feel that the Chicago Public Schools System failed them²it hurts. There were times where we had conversations about the public grammar and high schools they went to but I now realize that what they were saying went in one ear and out the other. Because I personally knew these males, I always found a way to negate what they were saying and place them blame back on them and their actions. Although I never outright expressed these
Floyd - 6
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop thoughts, I believe they sensed them, and this disconnect led to a breakdown in communication and a weakened relationships. But what do I, as a young black female know about young black males in the inner-city? I grew up in Oak Park, my dad was always around working 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet, and my brothers never got into trouble. The males in my life have always done what many people believe males were µdesigned¶ to do²take care of business and put family first. They both graduated from high school, and although neither of them graduated from college, they still obtained well-paying jobs that enabled them to provide for their families. None of the older males in my family (on my father¶s side) obtained formal education after high school, but they are still successful by traditional societal standards. Although I am a bit hesitant to admit it, I have lived a very sheltered lifestyle. Once my family moved from the west side of Chicago to Oak Park, my entire sense of reality was shifted²and it took this assignment for the µapple to hit me on the head.¶ While combing through my resources, I was constantly reminded of conversations that I have had with my mate and others regarding young black men and I was always told that I simply did not understand. My perspective on the situation has always been that there is always a way out of the situation, a way out of the ³hood´, and that these young men could all do better (if they chose to do so). I always vehemently stated that there are plenty of resources in the inner-city, and if these young men simply sought out these resources, then they would have options other than those that many resort to²violence, crime, and despair. Yet, the fact remains that I do not know their stories. At this point, I have not come across anything that has caused me to change my mind on this matter. I still believe that if these young men were simply to seek out these alternate options
Floyd - 7
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop and put forth the effort, then opportunities will present themselves. But, I do now realize that as educators we have to shoulder some of this responsibility as well. Many of the statistics and facts that I ran across while conducting my research simply astounded me. Only 30% of Black males in Chicago graduate from high school. There are more African American males in American prisons than in American colleges.To me, there is no justification for these findings. They can be explained, but they cannot be justified. There is much more that the Chicago Public Schools organization can do for its male students of color. All children deserve excellent teachers and a worthwhile education. And I believe that the Academy for Urban School Leadership is dedicated to fulfilling that duty. As a pre-service teacher of young males of color, I appreciate the knowledge that this research has bestowed upon me. I also appreciate the opportunity to engage in honest reflection and critical thinking in regards to this topic. Lastly, I appreciate this opportunity for growth as both a person and an educator. I believe that as a result of completing this research and reflecting for countless hours on my thoughts and findings, that the utmost important notion that I have taken away is µnot to judge;¶to not take everything I see, hear, and experience at face value. For every story, there is a beginning that gives the history, a middle that signifies the action, and an ending that affects the future. When we interact with people, we are only viewing a minor glimpse of their stories. As teachers, we may see our students 5 days a week and, interact with them anywhere from 45 minute to 7 hours a day, and spend time with them over 30 weeks out of the year«but that still does not mean that we know exactly who they are. Therefore, through positive and meaningful teaching and community building, it is our job to find out. In conclusion, I¶ll end with words from my dear friend Blackout that simply mirror what I stated above,before we go and out and
Floyd - 8
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop label young black men as thugs because they like hip-hop or express themselves through rap we should ³Take some time out and research. Listen to some of the cries and the struggles. Don¶t just pinpoint the downfalls and negatives. There are sides to every story.´
Works Cited
Bennet Jr., M. D., & Fraser, M. W. (2000). Urban Violence among AFrican American Males: Integrating Famil, Neighborhood and Peer Perspectives. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 93-111.
Floyd - 9
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2011, from Morehouse Male Initiative: http://morehousemaleinitiative.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/11/stats-on-aa-males2.pdf Leary, J. D. (2005). Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing. Milwaukee: Upstone Press.
Appendix A
- Interview with Calvin ³Blackout´ Dion
Floyd - 10
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop
Did you grow up in Chicago? What was your childhood like? I grew up on the West side of Chicago in Humboldt Park. My childhood was pretty straight forward: go to school, do my chores and to take care of my brother and I. Any good or bad decisions were up to me because my mother worked and went to school 5 days a week.
Did you attend a Chicago Public School? Yes I did for all my grades except for the 4 years of charter school. What were some of your best experiences in CPS? Some of your worst? My best experiences were having somewhere to be as a person, my friends were there, the computers were there and there no parents!!! My worst experiences were the disciplinary punishments I received. Some of the suspensions were out of hand and some of the comments were rude as well.
What was high school like for you? High School was the best and worst 4 years of my life, mostly worse. In charter high school the worst thing I had to worry about was respecting others and keeping my grades up. In public school, I had to make sure I could stay alive and focused enough to keep my grades up; it was so easy to wander off from the education.
Did you attend or consider attending college? I attended college for a year after high School. I didn¶t want to take any breaks from receiving my education. I always had college as one of my stepping stones to being successful because I loved playing basketball and most pros came from college. There¶s nothing like having a good education.
Do you feel as if you attended college you would have had support? If you attended college did you have support? From whom? When I attended college, the support I had was so simple, folks only told me how happy they were but no one emphasized on how hard it was but my peers who were entering. None of my family made it through college so they¶re motivation was still based on getting themselves back in school. Other than my mother, whom I had to force into my interest for college, was my only true support. What do you think America thinks about young black and Latino men? Sometimes I think America doesn¶t know what to do with young minorities at this point. Young people in America are simple; they want what they see in their dreams so they work hard for it. Those are American Dreams, I don¶t think they¶re for everyone either.
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The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop
What are the options for young men of color that do not attend college or vocational school? Young men can make it out here in many ways: working one or more jobs a week, joining social organizations and groups that helps build clout like churches and youth centers.
What were your options? After college my biggest option was my clean record, I got into security and I¶ve been here since, I know the importance of being stable and making a living so I revolve my life mostly around my job.
What is hip-hop to the African American and Latino culture? Hip-hop has become an expression tool for the urban community more than any other community. I grew up as an inner city kid and I¶m still here so I wouldn¶t speak for anyone else. It¶s the most confrontational form of art. Things that people would never say in public are expressed through hip-hop every single day.
What is hip-hop to young Black and Latino men? It¶s like another conscious telling the young men to do what¶s best for us individually.. Music can reach and teach when you refuse to let anyone else into your life.
Are black and Latino men negatively influenced by rap and hip hop? What about the black community? No not at all, Hip-Hop is a factor indeed, but it is mainly an advertisement for the things that negatively influence our culture. If rappers are talking money and sex, it¶s only complimenting what everyone else is doing. At this point, advertisement has all the tools it need to influence us in the wrong way, Hip-Hop can do no more harm than it¶s already done. Alcohol, drugs, Aids, and senseless killings are the biggest downfalls of our culture.
What is hip-hop to you? Hip-hop is my best friend, when I can¶t speak to my parents, when I feel to real for the people around me, I talk through my work. My attitude is open minded and respectful but it¶s direct and precise,
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The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop
Why do you rap? Is rap ³your way out´? I rap because it¶s easy. It¶s an easy way of expressing how I feel inside; it takes all of my expectations and goals and spat them out to a sheet of people like a list of chores. Rap is my way out of the simplistic life I was told to live. I don¶t want the easy way out, I want to sit in the cut and create music to heal my pain and worries. If I didn¶t have music, I would be out here ³keeping up with the Jones´ and spending hours in front of the TV like most Americans.
Do you believe that rap defines who you are? How so? It doesn¶t define who I am personally but it fits my character. I¶m full of energy most of the time, I¶m willing to learn and to take in, when this happens, and my music is pretty much a lecture of everything I¶ve taken in as Calvin.
How is rap perceived by the dominant culture in America? Rap is seen as a way of not moving ahead in life. It¶s a way of taking the shortcut to riches and fame. Anyone can do it at this point. There¶s no limit to what folks can bring to the table so it¶s become universal and irrelevant at the same time. The main factor of hip-hop is the attention it receives from the youth.
Prisons in America are built based off of third grade reading scores. What does that statement mean to you? It means nothing to me, jails are the substitution for death and as a young man who wakes up and make a honest living, I keep those two as far away as possible. I can say that education is the most important tool anyone could ever have. If there was anything at all you could say to ³America´ in regards to men of color and hip-hop, what would it be? Take some time out and research. Listen to some of the cries and the struggles. Don¶t just pinpoint the downfalls and negatives. There¶s always to sides to a story.
Part One I am intrigued by young black men. Their culture, persona, and contextof µbeing¶ just fascinates me. I have been with the same male for almost 5 years, and time and time again, I find myself questioning why he behaves in the manner he does. Adding to his complexity, is his love and utmost respect for hip-hop. No matter where we are, what we are doing, or who is around, I can always count on him to be pre-occupied with music. He is always doing one of four things: writing in his notepad app on his phone, downloading, listening to, or watching [new] music, updating himself on some relevant hip-hop news, or rapping to himself or aloud. I used to get frustrated because it seemed to me that hip-hop was the only thing that he was concerned with, and I wouldfoolishly refer to it as his hobby or past time. I used to say things to him such as ³I want you to go to the studio with your friends and have fun,´ and he would always get mad, but I never really understood why. I figured that since he was not using rap as an avenue to success, i.e. make millions of dollars, then it was simply something that he enjoyed doing. Luckily, he does not live his life like the characters that are rapped about in popular hip-hop songs today. He works full-time and when he is not at work, he is out somewhere playing video games, or just relaxing with friends. So from my point of view, he is doing quite fine for himself. But what about the young males that love hip-hop just as much as my mate, but are not as fortunate? What about the young males that cannot obtain jobs and therefore resort to making money through alternate means? What about the young males that seem to have no respect for
Floyd - 2
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop authority, the law, or society in general? Why do these males sell drugs, express themselves violently, and view women as objects to use instead of beings to honor? Personally, I do not believe that all young urban males that listen to hip-hop act in this manner, but society and the media will lead you to believe otherwise. I decided to do a bit of general research on the reality of black males in America to see if I could find out why. I ran into a number of statistics and findings that further promoted the notion that many young black men are as violent, dangerous, and irresponsible as thecharacters from music they listen to. Statistics that I found: ³Homicide is the second leading cause of death among persons 15-24 years of age and is the leading cause of death for African American and Latino youths in this age group´ (Bennet & Fraser, 94). ³A young Black male in America is more likely to die from gun fi re than was any soldier in Vietnam´(Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America). ³Blacks, who comprise only 13% of the population and account for about 13% of drug users, constitute 35% of all arrests for drug possession, 55% of all convictions on those charges, and 74% of all those sentenced to prison for possession´(Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America).
³In 2000, 65% of Black male high-school dropouts in their 20¶s were jobless ² that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72%, compared with 34% of White and 19% of Hispanic dropouts. Evenwhen high-school graduates
Floyd - 3
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop were included, half of Black men in their 20¶s were jobless in 2004, up from 46% in 2000´ (Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America). I found a bunch of statistics that supported the notion that black men in America are not and have limited chances of being successful. But in most of those documents, what I did not find were explanations explaining why. Luckily, in a couple of sources, I came across a few paragraphs that made perfect sense to me: ³Drug addiction, drug trafficking, exploitive and hostile relationships with law enforcement and other authorities, and other types of antisocial behaviors are collectively symptomatic of growing social disorganization. In socially disorganized communities, residents often view the larger society as uncaring, intolerant, and hostile´(Bennet Jr. & Fraser, 2000). We have known for some time now that the inner-city African American communities lack an actual sense and understanding of the term community. There are no resources, minimal job opportunities, and great need for security and comfort within these neighborhoods. Therefore, these communities operate outside the normal constraints of traditional society. They have their own codes, rules, understandings, and understandably negative outlook on the larger and more dominant society. ³Neighborhoods provide settings that differentially promote critical developmental processes, which in turn, shape a child¶s sense of wellbeing and self efficacy. Social developmental process that occur through involvement with parents, teachers, and peers«are based on webs of strong and weak social ties that provide role models and rewards for prosocial behavior. These processes are disrupted when fear of victimization, anger, and pessimism break down social cohesion´(Bennet Jr. & Fraser, 2000).
Floyd - 4
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop So when these neighborhoods do not own up to their social responsibility to these young black males, and public schools fail to educate and uplift these young urban males, society has indeed failed them. And because society has failed them, they are angry. And no longer is there anything stopping them from going back into their communities and contributing (positively but most often negatively) in any manner that they feel will result in profits and success for themselves. These young men are angry for a number of reasons. ³In its simplest form anger is the normal emotional response to a blocked goal. Often, if a person¶s goal remains blocked over time, they will begin to consider the possibility of failure and so experience fear, and when we are fear we also lash out in anger´ (Leary, 2005). So how does this realization bridge a connection to modern hip-hop? In the media, all one sees is a stereotypical image of the African American male. This male is dangerous, uncivilized, lazy (for not making money through traditional means), uneducated but skilled, and a career thug. This µprototypical¶ male has somehow become the embodiment of mainstream hip-hop. But all of the rappers we see on today are very successful! They have racks of money, multiple cars, jewelry, and handfuls of women to choose from. So how are these males able to relate to these men making millions of dollars, driving nice cars, and living in mansions on the hill? ³The media is the lens through which people view themselves. Through the media, individuals with vacant esteem not only recognize their own impotence but also show their group and community¶s lack of power and efficacy´(Leary, 2005). The popular rappers and hip-hop moguls are the only ³positive´ images of successful black men that these young men can relate to. They cannot relate to the doctors, lawyers, and businessman, just as most of these white
Floyd - 5
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop collar professionals have made no attempts to relate to them. Hip-hop is what they see, and for many, hip-hop is all they have. It becomes their voice, their hope, their hope, their lifestyle. Part Two The challenges that I faced while completing this assignment were simplistic, but complicated matters quite substantially. Initially, I did not know where to start with my project. All I knew was that I wanted to focus on the persona of young urban black males, but had nothing in mind in regards to specificity. I struggled with an overarching topic because I did not want to report on a topic that portrayed young urban males in the same negative light that society subjects them to on a daily basis. I started searching ERIC using the terms black, male, and education. Then I substituted education for prison. And finally after finding a few more articles, prison was replaced with hiphop. Now that I¶m writing up this reflection, I wish I would have took my research one step further and used the term µfuture¶ as one of my search terms as well²just to see what type of results were rendered. As far as school, urban schools in particular and society, I¶m not really sure how to express my feelings. It is bad enough that it is being noted in literature, reports, and dissertations that public schools are failing males of color. But to hear young males that I interact with on a daily basis admit to me that they feel that the Chicago Public Schools System failed them²it hurts. There were times where we had conversations about the public grammar and high schools they went to but I now realize that what they were saying went in one ear and out the other. Because I personally knew these males, I always found a way to negate what they were saying and place them blame back on them and their actions. Although I never outright expressed these
Floyd - 6
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop thoughts, I believe they sensed them, and this disconnect led to a breakdown in communication and a weakened relationships. But what do I, as a young black female know about young black males in the inner-city? I grew up in Oak Park, my dad was always around working 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet, and my brothers never got into trouble. The males in my life have always done what many people believe males were µdesigned¶ to do²take care of business and put family first. They both graduated from high school, and although neither of them graduated from college, they still obtained well-paying jobs that enabled them to provide for their families. None of the older males in my family (on my father¶s side) obtained formal education after high school, but they are still successful by traditional societal standards. Although I am a bit hesitant to admit it, I have lived a very sheltered lifestyle. Once my family moved from the west side of Chicago to Oak Park, my entire sense of reality was shifted²and it took this assignment for the µapple to hit me on the head.¶ While combing through my resources, I was constantly reminded of conversations that I have had with my mate and others regarding young black men and I was always told that I simply did not understand. My perspective on the situation has always been that there is always a way out of the situation, a way out of the ³hood´, and that these young men could all do better (if they chose to do so). I always vehemently stated that there are plenty of resources in the inner-city, and if these young men simply sought out these resources, then they would have options other than those that many resort to²violence, crime, and despair. Yet, the fact remains that I do not know their stories. At this point, I have not come across anything that has caused me to change my mind on this matter. I still believe that if these young men were simply to seek out these alternate options
Floyd - 7
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop and put forth the effort, then opportunities will present themselves. But, I do now realize that as educators we have to shoulder some of this responsibility as well. Many of the statistics and facts that I ran across while conducting my research simply astounded me. Only 30% of Black males in Chicago graduate from high school. There are more African American males in American prisons than in American colleges.To me, there is no justification for these findings. They can be explained, but they cannot be justified. There is much more that the Chicago Public Schools organization can do for its male students of color. All children deserve excellent teachers and a worthwhile education. And I believe that the Academy for Urban School Leadership is dedicated to fulfilling that duty. As a pre-service teacher of young males of color, I appreciate the knowledge that this research has bestowed upon me. I also appreciate the opportunity to engage in honest reflection and critical thinking in regards to this topic. Lastly, I appreciate this opportunity for growth as both a person and an educator. I believe that as a result of completing this research and reflecting for countless hours on my thoughts and findings, that the utmost important notion that I have taken away is µnot to judge;¶to not take everything I see, hear, and experience at face value. For every story, there is a beginning that gives the history, a middle that signifies the action, and an ending that affects the future. When we interact with people, we are only viewing a minor glimpse of their stories. As teachers, we may see our students 5 days a week and, interact with them anywhere from 45 minute to 7 hours a day, and spend time with them over 30 weeks out of the year«but that still does not mean that we know exactly who they are. Therefore, through positive and meaningful teaching and community building, it is our job to find out. In conclusion, I¶ll end with words from my dear friend Blackout that simply mirror what I stated above,before we go and out and
Floyd - 8
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop label young black men as thugs because they like hip-hop or express themselves through rap we should ³Take some time out and research. Listen to some of the cries and the struggles. Don¶t just pinpoint the downfalls and negatives. There are sides to every story.´
Works Cited
Bennet Jr., M. D., & Fraser, M. W. (2000). Urban Violence among AFrican American Males: Integrating Famil, Neighborhood and Peer Perspectives. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 93-111.
Floyd - 9
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop Facts and Sources Current Plight of Black Men and Boys in America. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2011, from Morehouse Male Initiative: http://morehousemaleinitiative.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/11/stats-on-aa-males2.pdf Leary, J. D. (2005). Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing. Milwaukee: Upstone Press.
Appendix A
- Interview with Calvin ³Blackout´ Dion
Floyd - 10
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop
Did you grow up in Chicago? What was your childhood like? I grew up on the West side of Chicago in Humboldt Park. My childhood was pretty straight forward: go to school, do my chores and to take care of my brother and I. Any good or bad decisions were up to me because my mother worked and went to school 5 days a week.
Did you attend a Chicago Public School? Yes I did for all my grades except for the 4 years of charter school. What were some of your best experiences in CPS? Some of your worst? My best experiences were having somewhere to be as a person, my friends were there, the computers were there and there no parents!!! My worst experiences were the disciplinary punishments I received. Some of the suspensions were out of hand and some of the comments were rude as well.
What was high school like for you? High School was the best and worst 4 years of my life, mostly worse. In charter high school the worst thing I had to worry about was respecting others and keeping my grades up. In public school, I had to make sure I could stay alive and focused enough to keep my grades up; it was so easy to wander off from the education.
Did you attend or consider attending college? I attended college for a year after high School. I didn¶t want to take any breaks from receiving my education. I always had college as one of my stepping stones to being successful because I loved playing basketball and most pros came from college. There¶s nothing like having a good education.
Do you feel as if you attended college you would have had support? If you attended college did you have support? From whom? When I attended college, the support I had was so simple, folks only told me how happy they were but no one emphasized on how hard it was but my peers who were entering. None of my family made it through college so they¶re motivation was still based on getting themselves back in school. Other than my mother, whom I had to force into my interest for college, was my only true support. What do you think America thinks about young black and Latino men? Sometimes I think America doesn¶t know what to do with young minorities at this point. Young people in America are simple; they want what they see in their dreams so they work hard for it. Those are American Dreams, I don¶t think they¶re for everyone either.
Floyd - 11
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop
What are the options for young men of color that do not attend college or vocational school? Young men can make it out here in many ways: working one or more jobs a week, joining social organizations and groups that helps build clout like churches and youth centers.
What were your options? After college my biggest option was my clean record, I got into security and I¶ve been here since, I know the importance of being stable and making a living so I revolve my life mostly around my job.
What is hip-hop to the African American and Latino culture? Hip-hop has become an expression tool for the urban community more than any other community. I grew up as an inner city kid and I¶m still here so I wouldn¶t speak for anyone else. It¶s the most confrontational form of art. Things that people would never say in public are expressed through hip-hop every single day.
What is hip-hop to young Black and Latino men? It¶s like another conscious telling the young men to do what¶s best for us individually.. Music can reach and teach when you refuse to let anyone else into your life.
Are black and Latino men negatively influenced by rap and hip hop? What about the black community? No not at all, Hip-Hop is a factor indeed, but it is mainly an advertisement for the things that negatively influence our culture. If rappers are talking money and sex, it¶s only complimenting what everyone else is doing. At this point, advertisement has all the tools it need to influence us in the wrong way, Hip-Hop can do no more harm than it¶s already done. Alcohol, drugs, Aids, and senseless killings are the biggest downfalls of our culture.
What is hip-hop to you? Hip-hop is my best friend, when I can¶t speak to my parents, when I feel to real for the people around me, I talk through my work. My attitude is open minded and respectful but it¶s direct and precise,
Floyd - 12
The Culture of African American (and Latino) Males as it Relates to Hip-Hop
Why do you rap? Is rap ³your way out´? I rap because it¶s easy. It¶s an easy way of expressing how I feel inside; it takes all of my expectations and goals and spat them out to a sheet of people like a list of chores. Rap is my way out of the simplistic life I was told to live. I don¶t want the easy way out, I want to sit in the cut and create music to heal my pain and worries. If I didn¶t have music, I would be out here ³keeping up with the Jones´ and spending hours in front of the TV like most Americans.
Do you believe that rap defines who you are? How so? It doesn¶t define who I am personally but it fits my character. I¶m full of energy most of the time, I¶m willing to learn and to take in, when this happens, and my music is pretty much a lecture of everything I¶ve taken in as Calvin.
How is rap perceived by the dominant culture in America? Rap is seen as a way of not moving ahead in life. It¶s a way of taking the shortcut to riches and fame. Anyone can do it at this point. There¶s no limit to what folks can bring to the table so it¶s become universal and irrelevant at the same time. The main factor of hip-hop is the attention it receives from the youth.
Prisons in America are built based off of third grade reading scores. What does that statement mean to you? It means nothing to me, jails are the substitution for death and as a young man who wakes up and make a honest living, I keep those two as far away as possible. I can say that education is the most important tool anyone could ever have. If there was anything at all you could say to ³America´ in regards to men of color and hip-hop, what would it be? Take some time out and research. Listen to some of the cries and the struggles. Don¶t just pinpoint the downfalls and negatives. There¶s always to sides to a story.
