The Launch Of The Hip-Hop Express And It’s Importance To Education [Podcast]
![The Launch Of The Hip-Hop Express And It’s Importance To Education [Podcast]](http://www.kulturekritic.com/wp-content/themes/city-desk/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fkulturekritic.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F12%2Fb8b7bakari-150x150.jpg&q=90&w=160&h=106&zc=1 "The Launch Of The Hip-Hop Express And It’s Importance To Education [Podcast]")
In this week’s edition of Rap Sessions, NewsOne contributor Bakari Kitwana speaks with Dr. William Patterson about a new hip-hop and civic studies project modeled after the early 1900s Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver’s Jessup Agricultural Wagon. Whereas Washington and Carver brought Tuskegee University via a horse-drawn wagon to sharecroppers in the South, Patterson’s In Search of Hip-Hop Express brings civic studies from the University of Illinois Urban Champaign to Black youth around the US through a mobile airstream trailer retro-fitted with the latest technology. Hip-hop Express teaches Black youth civic engagement and community-building while investigating and archiving the Black experience from a hip-hop perspective. Patterson emphasizes here that his focus is to engage descendents of the sharecroppers: “Booker T Washington believed if sharecroppers were better educated about finance and the science and technology of agriculture then it would improve their quality of life.†“Sharecroppers often worked seven days a week and had little free time—so Washington believed Tuskegee should go to them,†Patterson says, “One of the ways universities can engage urban youth today is to use technology and other educational tools, along with aesthetics of the city and hip-hop to be the engaging point to inspire community transformation. Our new crop that we have to cultivate is actually the young people in our community. If we provide the right science and appropriate media and technology they then become the stewards of the Black experience and contribute to that legacy.†The creator of In Search of Hip-Hop Express, William Patterson is the founder and co-director of Youth Media Workshop. He teaches educational policy at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Bakari Kitwana is CEO of Rap Sessions, Editor at Large of Newsone.com and author of the forthcoming Hip-Hop Activism in the Obama Era. (Third World Press, 2011) RELATED: Rap Sessions Podcasts Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE: Usher gets kicked in head by female fan trying to be sexy video[from Hellobeautiful.com] Nicki Minaj talks her butt, alter egos, and being a boss on “Chelsea Latelyâ€[from Hellobeautiful.com] Natalie Nunn says she likes Wiz Khalifa [from TheUrbanDaily.com] Jamie Foxx to receive entertainer award at BET Honors [from Theurbandaily.com]
Haki Madhubuti Remembers The Great Dr. Margaret Burroughs [Podcast]
In this week’s edition of Rap Sessions, NewsOne writer Bakari Kitwana speaks with Haki Madhubuti, Publisher of Third World Press, about the life and impact of Dr. Margaret Burroughs, the pioneering Chicago artist and co-founder of The DuSable Museum of African American History who died last month at the age of 95. Madhubuti, who volunteered at The DuSable Museum back in the early 1960s, talks about Burroughs’ impact on the political and cultural life of Chicago and the nation for over half a century. About a month before her death, she was honored by the Art Institute of Chicago with its Legends and Legacy Award. At the gathering, Madhubuti publicly read a poem that he wrote for Dr. Burroughs entitled “Master of Colors and Canvas.†Here Madhubuti remembers Dr. Burroughs as a one-of-a-kind educator, artist, institution builder and community leader. “When Margaret Burroughs spoke everyone listened,†Madhubuti recalls. “She was never for the elite. She was always on the frontline trying to do that which is best, good, correct, and just for the great majority of people in this country and the world.†Haki Madhubuti is the Ida B. Wells-Barnett University Professor at DePaul University and the founder and publisher of Third World Press. He is the author of 28 books including the most recent Liberation Narratives: New and Collected Poems 1966-2009 for which he received the 2010 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for poetry. Bakari Kitwana is CEO of Rap Sessions and author of the forthcoming Hip-Hop Activism in the Obama Era. RELATED: Julianne Malveuax Speaks On The State Of Blacks In American Economy [Podcast] Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE: Five better career moves for Flavor Flav [from TheUrbanDaily.com] T.I. blames his dentist for drug addiction [from TheUrbanDaily.com] The Dream pays Christina Milian $4 mil to keep her mouth shut [from HelloBeautiful.com] 2010 American Music Awards Photos [from HelloBeautiful.com]
Rev. Al Sharpton: It’s Time For Us To Confront Homophobia
When the now infamous allegations against Bishop Eddie Long first surfaced, the world – and specifically the African American community – paused for a seemingly endless moment. Attempting to cope with the complexity of the situation, we began questioning everything from faith and leadership, to sexuality and civic responsibility. Accountability and Responsibility An ongoing issue within the Catholic Church, this was the first time that we within the Black Church were faced with the troubling notion of pedophilia and abuse of power. And though nothing has been confirmed nor denied at this point in time, this difficult period should serve as the quintessential teachable moment on a plethora of levels for everyone who cares about the future of our community, the Black Church and our children. To be clear, let’s first remind ourselves that Pastor Long is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Our constitution affords all of us a just trial within the judicial system, and we should honor it no matter what the views in the court of public opinion may be. That being said, we can however highlight the need for growth within leadership, and the duty upon all of us to assess our own shortcomings and potential hypocrisy. Text continues after gallery: Public figures – myself included – must be more committed to our cause than our own attractions or distractions in life. Throughout the years, I have learned that public figures must live and function to a higher standard or else they run the risk of getting in the way of what they represent. Whether that cause is political reform, immigration law or civil rights as is the case with me, all leadership must adhere to a greater code of excellence if we are to witness the progress we wholeheartedly champion in our day-to-day struggles. Next, it’s time that the Black Church and the African American community begin engaging in an open and frank conversation over the issue of homophobia. For far too long, we have dodged the bullet on this reality, and the end result has been catastrophic for all of us. Because of a massive stigma and fears of castigation, many live dual realities – on the one end pretending they are fathers and husbands, and on the other, living on ‘the down-low’. Not only has such an existence denied people the opportunity to live openly and freely as they choose, but it has greatly contributed to the skyrocketing number of HIV/AIDS cases among African American women who may be unaware of the activities of their husbands/boyfriends. As we continue discussing Pastor Long’s alleged crimes, we must ask ourselves, would this have been such a big issue if it were a heterosexual allegation? And finally, we must keep in mind that Clergy, like all other human beings, are imperfect and will make mistakes. But we cannot and will not allow for them to be hypocrites. When a man or woman assumes the role of religious leadership, or any leadership for that matter, we must ensure that they are leading by example and not by mere verbiage. Pastors and those who choose to guide others must be held accountable for what they preach and what they espouse from the pulpit. Their actions must coincide with their teachings, and if they do not, then the responsibility rests upon all of us to call them out on it. As the legalities of Pastor Long’s case will eventually reveal the truth, in the meantime, we must ensure that we begin tackling some of our own half-truths and shortcomings. Public figures like myself must continue living and functioning to a higher standard, and the public must be ready to hold us liable if and when we do not. The African American community must begin to grapple with the very real existence of homosexuality, and it is the responsibility of everyone to hold our Clergy and leadership accountable to their words and actions. Out of the turmoil, pain and shock of the Bishop Long situation, if we can master these challenges, then we in effect have mastered the teachings of this very real and very grave moment. Click here to join the 2011 Black History Month contest
Civil Rights Legend, Ron Walters, Leaves An Enduring Legacy
By Hakim Hasan: Dr. Ronald Walters, 72, one of the foremost authorities on Black-American politics, died on Friday (September 10) of cancer. He was born on July 20, 1938 in Witchita, Kansas, a grim period in American life when blacks could not vote and were subjected to blatant racism. This, undoubtedly, shaped his lifelong and evolved worldview as a political scientist and activist. Although Dr. Walters held many visiting professorships at major universities during his distinguished academic career, he spent the majority of  his career as a professor and chair of the political science department at Howard University from the mid-1970s until 1996. From 1996 until his retirement in 2009, he was a professor of political science and Director of the African-American Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland. Herb Boyd, “New York Amsterdam News†reporter, soberly recalls: “Most recently I was with him at Howard University where he was summoned to participate in the making of a documentary about the history of the NAACP. His analysis, like his historical insight, was concise, crisp, and to the point. Nothing wasted. No fanfare or one-upmanship.†One of the enduring legacies of Dr. Walter’s scholarship and activism was his constant struggle to marry political theory to civic engagement and the grueling practicalities of electoral politics (“the tightrope†that politicians have to walk.) For example, his essay “Leverage Rainbow Politics,†which appeared on the Independent Politics Network website in 2008, can be read as a prophetic understanding of the right-wing—and even liberal—backlash against President Barack Obama. He writes, “Blacks can be tricked because the attraction of the first black or the first woman to do this or that seemingly fits into the legacy of civil rights, a syndrome that can be disastrous if it turns out wrong.†Dr. Ron Daniels, former Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City and Distinguished Lecturer at York College makes the pointed observation: “No one more than Dr. Ronald Walters hammered home the relevance of “leverage politics†as a time tested vehicle for organized interest groups and constituencies to extract benefits from the American political system. He created a living laboratory for his leverage theory of politics as the Issues Director and principal strategist for Rev. Jesse L. Jackson’s electrifying campaign for President in 1984.†Dr. Walters published well over one hundred scholarly papers and many books including Black Presidential Politics, which won the Ralph Bunche Prize and Best Book Prize from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. To the general public, however, Dr. Walters is probably best remembered as a constant fixture and engaging political analyst on major television news programs especially when he served as a major advisor to the Reverend Jesse Jackson when he ran for president in 1984. A public viewing and memorial service for Dr. Walters will be held at Crampton Hall at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on September 19 (3:00-5:00 P.M.). Reverend Jesse Jackson will preside over the funeral services on September 20 held at Shiloh Baptist Church (10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.) in Washington, D.C. Hakim Hasan writes frequently about social issues and politics. He is the former Director of Public Programs at the Museum of the City of New York. Click here to view photos: RELATED: Long serving Howard Professor Ron Walters Dies At 72
Reclaim The Dream
Forty-seven years ago, our nation was in the midst of uncertainty, trepidation, fear, frustration, anger and unrest. Forty-seven years ago, we were simultaneously hopeful, dedicated, ambitious, determined and resilient. Forty-seven years ago, people of all races gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to urge their federal government to live up to the standards and ethos embodied in our Constitution. Forty-seven years ago, we demanded equal access to education, voting rights, desegregation across the board, just employment opportunities and equanimity in society. And forty-seven years ago, men and women from all walks of life, and from all ethnic persuasions rallied and marched for a larger federal government to intervene because states were failing to ensure our basic human civil rights. It was on Aug. 28th, 1963, that the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. unequivocally summarized the sentiments of the over 250,000 attendees and millions across the country at home when he delivered his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’. Now forty-seven years later, it is time to Reclaim that Dream. National Action Network and I invite you to join us on Aug. 28th in Washington, D.C as we mobilize along with other progressive leaders, clergy, activists and dream keepers to unanimously Reclaim The Dream. We will meet at 11 AM at Dunbar High School and then march forward in the same peaceful manner as Dr. King did on that historic day. When most people reflect on August 28th, 1963, they often forget the premise of why Dr. King and other leaders organized such a massive congregation to begin with. Billed as the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom’, the Aug. 28th rally pushed for the federal government to take more direct action in enforcing laws and policies that would end institutional racism and create a level playing field for all people despite race, color or creed. The three-hour long program at the Lincoln Memorial united civil rights leaders like John Lewis and Dr. King himself to present a unified front in the quest for justice. And the following year, the success of that day and Dr. King’s relentless work were realized when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, and one year later passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King undoubtedly understood the necessity of immediacy. He knew that despite the emancipation of slavery, ‘One hundred years later, the Negro is still not free’, and that ‘One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity’. Today, with incomprehensible unemployment rates as high as 50% in places like NY, unequal access to decent education and housing, astronomical arrest and imprisonment rates, skyrocketing foreclosures and remaining strongholds of racial injustice, African Americans are still vying to fully realize Dr. King’s dream. With ridiculous state laws like Arizona’s anti-immigration SB 1070 bill, Latinos and other minorities are welcoming federal intervention to fully realize Dr. King’s dream. And as women still fight for higher wages and an end to discriminatory policies, the dream must still be fully realized. Text continues after Pictures of the Week gallery: Join us at Dunbar High School at 11 AM as we mobilize once again those that refuse to settle for injustice and inequality. In honor of Dr. King, we will again march in the country’s capital as we call on our federal government to ensure our inalienable rights when states sometimes fail to do so. But we will in no way be deterred by those dividers like Glenn Beck and other Tea Party members who are attempting to tarnish the legacy of this historic day and our impeccable leader. We will not allow them to hijack the dream, nor destroy Dr. King’s mission. And we will not give credence to this disturbance, and distraction – for that is all that it is. In true non-violent Dr. King fashion, we will not be silenced. We again are living in tumultuous, volatile times, but we again remain hopeful and vigilant that change is just around the corner. It begins with laws and policies that create opportunity and impartiality. And it begins with each one of us. On Aug. 28th, 1963, Dr. King infamously stated: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’†Let everyone who believes in justice join us in Washington on the 28th as we RECLAIM THE DREAM. RELATED: Al Sharpton, Progressive Organizations, To Hold “Reclaim The Dream†Rally “Reclaim The Dream†March: Calls Attention To Violence, Immigration, Education Housing Vouchers, Despair And Reclaiming The Dream
Tea Party Runs Counter To The Civil Rights Movement
When we study the intense struggle for civil rights in this nation, we quickly – and rightfully so – find ourselves analyzing the life and legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We learn of his tireless efforts to achieve equality and justice for all of humanity, as we pass on anecdotes of sit-ins, marches and boycotts to our children. Our schools highlight the selfless sacrifice of Dr. King in rooting out the stains of racism and achieving integration across the country. But what we as a collective sometimes forget to impress upon the next generation is the depth to which Dr. King was an advocate for federal government as he knew it was the only effective way to ensure a unified system of equality in every state. Today, the Tea Party stands to break that national stance on justice and in turn, break the crux of what the civil rights movement symbolized and what Dr. King fought and literally died for. Long observing a consistent pattern of racist comments and behavior within the Tea Party, the NAACP recently voted on a resolution urging leaders of the Party to denounce such inflammatory elements of their organization. What has ensued is a back-and-forth between between the two groups with a national discussion surrounding race and race relations. But in this much needed conversation, we cannot glance over what the Tea Party as a whole stands for: smaller government and states’ rights. It is a group so ardently focused on state sovereignty that talk of secession and state self-regulation has become as commonplace as the bigoted signs visibly present at their gatherings. And it is an ideology that should raise alarm bells to anyone who believes in true freedom and justice for all. Text continues after Right Wing Protesters gallery: During the struggle for civil rights in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it was more often than not, the federal government that intervened when state policies failed us. At Clinton High School in Tennessee, it was National Guard troops that protected Black students as they entered a desegregated educational facility for the first time. And it was the federal Supreme Court that ruled segregation resulted in unfair and unequal practices to begin with in the infamous Brown vs. Board of Education decision. It was federal policies that allowed Blacks and other folks of color to exercise their right to vote and voice their opinion in the politics and social issues of the day. It was national regulation of discriminatory housing and zoning laws that afforded the marginalized a shot at the American dream. And if we take it all the way back to the days of emancipation, it was a President and a federal government that ended the abhorrent institution of slavery. On August 28th, 1963, Dr. King went to Washington and held a rally for the precise purpose of pushing for increased federal action and involvement to nullify all discriminatory state and local practices. As we prepare to mark the 47th anniversary of his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on this date, Glenn Beck and others push for an expansion of states’ rights – the exact antithesis of the civil rights movement and Dr. King’s legacy. We can already clearly see the detrimental effects of state regulation with the recent passage of Arizona’s immigration bill SB 1070. And when members of the Tea Party like Rand Paul state that it is perfectly permissible for private businesses to discriminate on the basis of race, we have a serious problem. The NAACP was inarguably justified to call out racist elements of the Tea Party, but we must also ensure that we question the legitimacy of the Party’s foundation itself. As the chants for states’ rights and secession get louder, we must all ask ourselves if we would truly like to return to a period where there was less federal involvement?? In the tradition of Dr. King and the civil rights movement, I urge for more – not decreased – federal intervention. This is, after all, the United States of America; let’s start acting like it. RELATED: Joe Biden: “Republican Tea Party Will Be Rejected Come November†The 5 Types Of Tea Party Racists [OPINION] VIDEO: New Footage Emerges Of Tea Party Racists
