On the other side of paradise, a conservative blogger (Debbie Schlussel) goes after our nearest and dearest, Urban Word:
Um, how can they use the word “scholar” and “hip-hop” in the same sentence with a straight face? Ditto for pedagogy. With hip-hop, it’s more like pedophilogy.
Institute participants will learn proven, hands-on techniques that will help them to develop lesson plans and strengthen their course study, as well as create a platform from which they will understand the scope of hip-hop history, culture and politics, Cirelli said. The learning component is supported with night programming by lecturers and performers who will synthesize the day sessions with effective strategies and cutting-edge multicultural educational approaches.
“Hip-hop history”? Is that like memorizing the day that Russell Simmons and Rev. Run bought their first pair of laceless Adidas? Or is it the date the first naked butt was shaken in front of the camera in a rap video? Or maybe it’s the first day Ice T smoked his first crack pipe with a stripper. Forget reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. Perhaps it’s the day Professor Griff of Public Enemy uttered his first “Dirty Jew” reference. It’s very important to America’s future that kids in school learn the important facts of hip-hop.
Math problem: If 50 Cent has 9 bullets in his body, but gets two removed while all but two of his 30 tattoos are lasered off so he can star in movies, how many women did he infect with herpes divided by how many used condoms need to be recycled to keep things green?
Ugh. I’m not posting the link because I can’t subscribe to steering more traffic to her site. Besides her unbelievably flawed, ignorant and racist assumptions about Urban Word’s poetry and hip hop education model, it’s unfortunately not a surprise. It’s blog baiting, again from the mouth of a Coulter wannabee. I feel like I’m repeating myself a lot about the symmetry of uncertain times, however, I feel compelled to note that uncertain social, political, economic times often breeds lazy commentary looking for scapegoats (see Thomas Chatteron Williams.) Hip Hop and a black president are excellent fodders for noting the decline of ‘real american values’, no? And for the past 20 years, hip hop has definitely been a prime target. Music generally. If it’s not Jay-Z, it’s Marilyn. Forget individual choices. Marilyn and Jay-Z have nothing to do with the person who chooses to pull the trigger to harm classmates or neighbors.
Many of folks I know are educators that work or have worked with Urban Word for over 10 years and have written responses to this. I’ve posted some below. If you believe in arts education, writing, teenagers, the right side of the brain, then you can contribute to Urban Word here. I strongly encourage you do so. In typical Urban Word form, the alchemy of response to such garbage will lead to a creation of a chapbook of poetry from students of the program. I’ll post details when the book becomes available.
From Erica Miriam Fabri:
I am not in the business of calling anyone stupid, dumb, having a “warped mind” or being unable to converse in “real” English. Not only is it ignorant, but it is also completely untrue: I know this for a fact because I spend endless hours working as an instructor in both inner-city classrooms as well as in the classrooms of prestigious Universities. To the best of my knowledge, Debbie Schlussel has no experience of this sort whatsoever, and, I am very thankful for this. However, I do ask that anyone without any factual evidence of “stupidity” or “dumbness” please try not to degrade the very group of powerful young people that we are all working so hard to make aware of their incomparable brilliance.
From M.C K-Swift:
Debbie has poor English skills. She shows a lack of reading comprehension by refering to a one-woman theater piece as “curriculum.” It’s also clear to me that she hasn’t a shred of journalistic integrity. Wait, is she a even a journalist? I doubt it. She’s definitely not a writer. Critical thinking doesn’t appear to be her strong suit either. “And you wonder why each generation of American kids is dumber and more incompetent than the next.” No, Debz. I wonder how you take yourself seriously. I wonder if people who agree with your drivel would support the ban of ethnically aware education in Arizona public schools.
I could have been writing a song or a lesson plan. Instead, I read and responded to commentary on my identity and work by someone who probably wouldn’t give me the time of day in a wrist watch strap shop. I’ll do something Debbie wouldn’t ever do; listen to Homeboy Sandman’s “Airwave Air Raid” and smile about it.
From Rachel McKibbens:
A hip-hop curriculum is designed to engage the most reluctant readers and writers by creating a pedagogy that utilizes the strongest components of hip-hop (rhyme scheme, hyperbole, alliteration, metaphor/simile, cadence) as devices that will enable students to find parallels between the contemporary griots of today and the classic poets. As an educator who was a high school student in the 90s, let me be the first to tell you, THINGS CHANGE. Constantly. The American history books I was taught from were excessively 1) outdated 2) one-sided 3) reductive. It is our responsibility as educators to keep up with the times. If it means learning the best parts of one of the most influential movements in musical and cultural history, where’s the harm in that? How else are we going to battle cyberbullying? Sexually provocative children? Racism? Bigotry?
Personally, I’d like a punk rock curriculum that highlighted the parallels between The Dead Kennedys, Crass and Black Flag and the writings of Walt Whitman, Anne Sexton and Kenneth Patchen. Or how about an emo curriculum. A pop music curriculum. Something for everyone. I was made to read three poets while in high school (and this was an honors English course.) All three were white, male and nothing like me. Their poems were about nature and the sweet love of soft things. As a latchkey Mexican kid who grew up among skyscrapers, I couldn’t relate. So, I wrote poetry off for the next seven years. I did not learn that there are different breeds of beauty, so I thought mine was wrong. Luckily, I found a poet who spoke my language (not ebonic, not spanish, but whose voice came from the same house as mine) and I am alive, today, because of it, because of the music I could relate to (Public Enemy, MC Lyte, Eric B and Rakim.) because some people were willing to say, “Your voice counts too.”
To embrace a culture that is not yours is not a “dumbing down.” It is a handshake. A step up. A warm embrace. I hope those of you who took enough time to read this blog post and respond with contempt will spend an equal amount of time educating yourselves on tolerance, empathy and cultural enlightenment. You don’t have to join us. You don’t have to like the music we use as a teaching device. You don’t have to like our brown faces, even. But you do have to acknowledge that education is important. And it is an emergency. And if there are a few of us willing to roll up our sleeves and make this crazy world accessible to our youth, don’t knock it. We’re more than you.
And if you don’t know, now you know.
From Rich Villar:
I’m going to guess this is what happens when you’re under a deadline. Lazy punditry backed by not a shread of substantive critique.
I’m willing to give you a pass, the benefit of the doubt, and simply chalk this article up to lack of time to research. Because anything less than that would clearly be another in a long line of attempts to make brown people disappear. And we know you’re above that, Debbie.
I’ll be waiting for your apology to Miss Thiahera Nurse, as well as to the poets and teachers in this woefully under-researched article. Looking forward to hearing from you. Or not.
