Suchergebnisse

An examination of male generational binarism between the Hip Hop generation & its predecessors notes that both have greatly influenced the mindsets of black Americans. However, the old-crowd focused on liberation, equality, & education, while rappers devalue education & prefer battle lyrics to political points. The works of various black thinkers are drawn on to illustrate that, although the old crowd was united in the struggle for liberation, black leaders saw the future in many different & often contradictory ways. Rap lyrics are cited to highlight the battle between "teacher-rap/nation-conscious rap" & gangsta rap, as well as other struggles within Hip Hop, including pro-black vs humanist; Hip Pop vs underground; & Ego vs Ego. It is concluded that the generation gap can be reduced by mutual respect & listening to each other. Emphasis is placed on the need for a new type of Hip Hop that drops its apolitical perspective & begins to tell black youth how to gain freedom from the stranglehold of corporate America. 32 References. J. Lindroth

The works of African American playwright August Wilson are examined; specific attention is dedicated to highlighting Wilson's engagement with issues that affected the lives of working-class African Americans & the influence of W. E. B. Du Bois on Wilson's works. Rather than support Du Bois's contention that the "Talented Tenth" of the African American population could significantly improve the lives of working-class African Americans, it is noted that none of Wilson's protagonists occupy Du Bois's elite category. The permeation of themes of democracy, the nature of African American everyday life, the Black Arts Movement, & the madness/bliss dichotomy in Wilson's works is then addressed. Moreover, additional themes considered in each of Wilson's works, eg, the effects of the Civil Rights Movement on the lives of working-class African Americans in Two Trains Running (1969) are explored. The study's implications for the present-day black intellectual community & current black political leadership are also pondered. 22 References. J. W. Parker