William Raspberry's 'The Handicap Of Definition'

The Hip Hop music industry is infamous for being controversial. In the article Hip Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women there’s a debate on whether the exploitation and constant verbal slander of women should be acceptable just because it sales records. It presents the question that why is it that male poverty breeds sexism? Even though women may have lived in the same environment males still see women as the enemy in their music in an effort to sell records.

One of the more prominent criticisms of hip that Rose points out is that there is a large amount of misplaced blame in the world of hip hop. She writes, “increasingly, too many of hip hop’s supporters point to structural racism to explain the origins of the problem but refuse to link these structural forces to individual action and to the power of media seduction” (p. 73). In this section of the second chapter, Rose is explaining that those who defend commercial hip hop are taking a more-or-less one-dimensional approach to their arguments by solely blaming structural racism and overlooking the

In the essay, “Hip-Hop’s Betrayal Of Black Women”(221), by Jennifer McLune, she vents her feelings regarding hip-hop songs that are rhythmically diminishing the value of black women. She provides example on how the lyrics are being voiced and how hip-hop artists do not seem to care. Kevin Powell in “Notes of a Hip Hop Head” writes, “Indeed, like rock and roll, hip-hop sometimes makes you think we men don’t like women much at all, except to objectify them as trophy pieces or, as contemporary vernacular mandates, as baby mommas, chicken heads, or bitches” (221). There have been apologizes for what the rappers have said but nothing to resolve the dehumanization of black women. McLune informs the readers that hip-hop singers belittle black women and make them invisible. Jay-Z, a popular hip-hop artist is brought to center stage by McLune. The essay shows the example of a part of Jay-Z song that says, “I pimp hard on a trick, look Fuck if your leg broke bitch hop on your good foot” (222). This lyric is a perfect example of how hip-hop artist have no remorse in the words they sing. The hurt feelings and loss of self-esteem black women suffer, is of no concern to the rappers. McLune expresses that those who are underground hip-hop artist follow the footsteps on being sexist and using crude words in their lyrics just because they yearn and dream of being in the spotlight. Upcoming rappers want to be loved like Jay-Z and other famous notorious rappers.

The continued commercial inclusion of African-American images, language and music, does not eliminate double-consciousness- it may, in fact, magnify it. The stereotypes and images of Black people in America have evolved since Du Bois coined his term in 1897, but even the ever-changing understanding of Black culture leaves most African-Americans trapped in a conflict of who they are versus who they are believed to be in the eyes of America. On one hand, Africans are credited with inventing many genres of sound, dance, art and athletic styles. Although there are many groundbreaking contributions in math, medicine and science, Africans are not “popular” for these attributes. Because of this, many African-American parents keep their children from concentrating on such areas of strength as dance, music or sports in order to keep them away from a stereotypical field of study. Double-consciousness will have a talented athlete fore-go a sports career so that they are not considered “just another ball player”.

The history of sports goes back since ancient times. It has been a useful way for people to explore nature and their environment. Sports include different activities and games such as football, soccer, basketball, and etc. to express their skills and talents. Also, sports are a way to relax and have fun; but are sports all our African Americans rely on? The dream to become future sports stars. The reason why Gates begins his essay with an anecdote is to show and compare how many african-american athletes were at work today and how little the chances of African-Americans becoming athletes are compared to being a lawyer, dentist, or even a doctor. African-Americans assume that they are born athletes and it’s because the school system doesn’t

Raspberry concludes the essay referring to blacks in the work force. He says, “many of the things about which blacks make this assumption are things that do not contribute to their career success-except for that handful…”(544). Raspberry explains in the essay, we have to show our kids how to make it in American mainstream, not just black subculture (544). Raspberry finishes by explaining, “we have to make our children understand that they are intelligent, competent people, capable of doing whatever…”(544). Work Cited Raspberry, William. “The Handicap of Definition.” Washington Post 1982. RPT. In The Macmillian Reader 5th ed. Judith Nadell, John Langan, and Linda McMeniman. Boston: Allen and Bacon, 1999. 542-544.

For my generation, we have been conditioned into thinking that calling someone ‘black’ is frowned upon and seen as offensive. We were taught that the correct term for someone of a darker skin tone is a ‘person of colour’ or an ‘African-American’. The irony of calling someone an ‘African-American’ so as not to offend them, is that many black people are neither African nor American. For example, someone from the Caribbean currently living in Canada does not identify with this label

Stereotypes are assumptions made about a group and its member but stereotypes sometimes have a slight truth in it. Stereotypes are not just produced out of the blue and Staples’ understands that. People have their opinions about others; those opinions come from somewhere, either an experience or something they heard before, than these opinions lead to stereotyping. Appearances have a lot to do with assumptions that are made about people. Therefore towards the end of his essay, Staples’ states, “I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers. Even steely New Yorkers hunching toward nighttime destinations seem to relax and occasionally they even join in the time” (2). His actions allow people to assume the opposite of what they would assume if he was not singing classical composers. People assume only educated people would know about classical songs, therefore Staples’ found a way to make fewer people if not all, to stop stereotyping him as someone he is not. If he did not use this approach, he would remain to be stereotyped as most black males are. This is persuasive because although he changed and began singing melodies, he shows everyone that he is better than what they would have assumed about him if he was not singing those melodies. Staples’ reminds us to be receptive because people do judge based on appearances as well as actions. If someone wants another person to stop profiling

Due to lack of rightful accreditation back in the 1950s, Helen Kolawole expresses her opinion about how the entertainment industry should finally be upfront about the originations of several hit songs that credited white artists instead of the originators who were black. For example, Elvis Presley is a well-respected legend who was known as “the king” of rock and roll. Due to Elvis being so successful in his career, the issue of several songs recorded by him, originally being written by black artists, arises and irritates people of the African American race. It is prejudiced that this white “God” is forever remembered as one of the biggest stars in history when his success was partly based off of black artists who continue to be unrecognized. It is fair to say that several white artists are better known for their success over black artists.

America’s history is filled with the lack of acknowledgment and better yet oppression of the differences in people by class, gender, and sexuality, but especially race. As a black actress, a black poet, a black singer and a creative Afrocentric human being I consider myself a black artist whose goal is to find and define her own artistry that will be used to uplift and thereon represent a community, which is my definition of artistry.

This paper will open by first and foremost, explaining the different sociological meanings of the term power, so as the reader has an understanding of the arguments being made. This will allow anybody reading this paper to follow the arguments being made. Music can provide a means of resistance for challenging the power relations of racism, class and gender in a number of ways. The first way that this paper will approach this is the racial aspect and as a means of doing this, the main focus point will be Eminem and his break-through in to the Rap/ Hip-hop genre. This is relevant because he was the first white person to ever successfully break into this specific genre of predominantly Black artists. This will lead neatly onto the next element to answering the question of music providing a means of resistance for challenging power relations, It will move on to look at the class element of resisting and challenging power. This section will start off by continuing with regard to Eminem and how he used his “underclass” background as a means of connecting with his black counterparts, But still gaining acceptance from his peers and even forming a working relationship with an already massively established artist that aided him in his entrance to the hip-hop music industry and his credibility their after. Whilst still staying with subject matter of class, this

A musician that has significantly contributed to the American culture, but is considered part of a minority group, is Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s, a pop artist with an eccentric style music, has influenced not only other musicians, but also influenced a new era of video entertainment. Michael Jackson struggled with his own self image for many years and portrays his feelings and his struggles within some of his work. Two pieces of his work that I really feel embody Michael Jackson’s artistic point of view while also sending America a message on breaking barriers of diversity are “Man in the Mirror” and “They Don’t Care About Us”. Michael Jackson’s song, “Man in the Mirror”, discusses the struggles he suffered from for years that later

In the film “8 Mile” by Curtis Hanson there is the viewing of how marginalization takes place in many of black issues, as the community itself. “8 Mile” the name of the film is, also the highway that serves as a border to separate black Detroit neighborhoods from the upper class white neighborhoods. Where the viewing of marginalization takes place between these two neighborhoods. Forming and bringing out the aspects that differentiate them both. Marginalization is seen in “8 Mile” through the eyes of the main character Jimmy Smith, a young white rapper that lives in a rundown trailer home with his mother and sister.

I decided to scan for the definition of the lowercase form of “black” in The Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “thoroughly sinister or evil; very sad, gloomy or calamitous; characterized by hostility or angry discontent.” Immediately I reflected on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words (inspired by Ossie Davis), “maybe the English language should be reconstructed so that teachers will not be forced to teach the Negro child sixty ways to despise himself, and thereby perpetuate his false sense of inferiority, and the white child 134 ways to adore himself, and

Her performance of race is nothing more than a truly theatrical performance, almost minstrel-show like in quality. However, this should not serve to discredit the conversation she has ignited about race; quite the opposite, Dolezal has opened a larger swath of the public up to conversations about racial performances and what it means to be a certain race. While the transracial movement she spearheads has work to do, and is largely problematic as it stands now, it still poses some genuine challenges to racial identity and performance structures. Perhaps if Dolezal had not gone back on her claims about her race, or portrayed herself physically as a black woman, the challenges the transracial movement brought forth could be seriously reckoned with. However, the movement is entrenched in cultural beliefs and attitudes, and it does not stand on its own as anything other than a movement about intense fascination and adoration with another race, at least at its cultural level, by a transracial