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jessie peterson
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Jessie Peterson 2/22/11
“Colorstruck” Extra Credit
Directions: Submit your ticket stub to your assigned TA and/or otherwise document your attendance (sign in at the play, take a cell phone picture of you at the performance, say hello to your TAs and professor and show us your stub the night of the performance, etc). Post a SHORT 100-200 word response to the play to both the ilearn site and the def professor blogspot (following all guidelines of the extra credit rubric- except for the citation guidelines: you are excused from citations for this and only this extra credit opportunity).
Attending the play/comedy “Colorstruck” by Bay Area Activist and Donald Lacy was a unique experience. I have mixed feelings about this play. Overall I learned a lot and was impressed by Lacy’s performance. It was funny and sad all at the same time. I think that most of the things that he said in the play were true. The only thing that I really did not like is when he was talking about Obama and how he said that all white people are still racist. I disagree with this statement. Yes, I believe that there is still racism in America and some white people are racist but certainty not all. In the middle of the play Lacy cried out “Why do some of them hate us so much?”, I really appreciated that he said the word “some” in the question. The part where he showed the gruesome old pictures of the hangings of some African American people was the hardest thing for me to watch. This was so disgusting to see that (white) people did these kinds of things and I cannot grasp how people could have done those things. It makes me sad to know that so many people thought they way they did and did those horrible things to African Americans in those days. As any race, it is so extremely important to study, know, and understand history and why it happened. It is important to African Americans to know about themselves and it is important for all other races to understand what happened and why it happened so that history can never repeat itself. The part I appreciated the most was the ending and when the teachers were recognized. When they talked at the end it was so great to hear from them. They talked a lot about how this world needs change and how African American People need to emprise their race, learn about their history, and how all people need to come together and destroy any racism. They best thing said was when the professor said, “We need to create a new world, NOT a new world order!!” If people know the history and information behind this statement, you will understand. We as people should stand up together and fight for our rights as HUMANS, equally, not divided my race or anything else.
Misgana Habtezion Professor Fisher AFRS 256 February 20, 2011 I, Myself, was Colorstruck Going to Colorstruck, preformed by Donald Lacy, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I was not exactly sure of what to expect before attending, however quickly knew I was going to enjoy the performance. Starting out with a photograph slide show of significant African Americans, it was understood that he would be discussing everything African American. He began a conversation with the audience, making jokes about what Oakland has become and transitioning into to more serious topics, yet having a non-serious tone, making it easier for us, as the audience, to be comfortable with each topic. Talking about everything from the meaning of good hair, to the dark days of the African American’s past, Lacy had no reservations. He had a point and wanted himself to be heard. He attributed his success to his professors, which of whom he brought on stage after the show. I found that to be one of the highlights to the show, mainly because he took his gift around the world, then brought it home and showed his appreciation for where it all began. I would definitely recommend this show to others, and would want to attend his other shows. While informing us about the trials and tribulations his people have endured, he showed that they overcame adversities and can look good doing it. His message is uplifting and I encourage all to attend any of his shows.
The Hip Hop Unity Jam was a great opportunity to get a little inside information about Hip Hop and also hear some great MC’s, as well. At the beginning we had a speaker talking about the origins and what is Hip Hop. The way he talked about Hip Hop and explained it was in a funny/comedian kind of way but he was getting his message across. For Example he mentioned that, “rap is talking to the people that it is being listened by.” Another way he rephrased it was a stupid rapper is rapping to stupid people simple as that, everyone has their different audience. He also mentioned that there is 3 elements of hip hop, writing, dance, and the DJ. He explained three different dances of hip hop from different parts of the U.S. First, break dancing which comes from the East Coast. Second, locking which originated in the West Coast and finally, popping which also id from the West Coast. He explained that when hip hop started the element of writing came from inside the person and the DJ was at first the life that started the party. After his informative talk about Hip Hop we got the chance to listen to many upcoming MC’s do their thing up on stage, I totally recommend people to attend the Hip Hop Unity Jam next year.
The Vagina Monologues Extra Credit I really enjoyed watching The Vagina Monologues. I think most women need to see The Vagina Monologues to get people talking. For an understanding and openness with regard to the vagina represents, I believe, a better comprehension of how it functions and an overall acceptance of self and sexuality. Most women are humiliatingly devoid of understandings of their own bodies and cultural evaluations of the vagina are yet to be established. The Vagina Monologues seemed to be making body feminism palatable to the masses. Productions such as this are essential to breaking through the barriers of shame and ignorance that confront women when thinking of their bodies.
I attended the Multiculturalism and the Role of the University in Forging A Strong Civil Society in the Seven Hills Conference Center. There, professors from San Francisco State and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, joined together to discuss the field of Ethnic Studies and different methods for students to engage in extended learning in that field. Professors that specialize in American Indian studies, RAZA, Asian American studies, and Africana studies collaborated on why the field on Ethnic Studies is influential and important for all students to experience. After an hour of discussion, we formed groups with professors and students, discussing various topics about Ethnic Studies. In my group, we talked about how music, specifically hip hop, is a way to learn history in a way that is appealing to most students and how Ethnic Studies can be taught through music. Many of the professors agreed that music is an effective way to teach Ethnic Studies and not only expands students minds about different ethnicities and cultures, but also helps to promote community outreach.
I really enjoyed watching The Vagina Monologues. I think most women need to see The Vagina Monologues to get people talking. For an understanding and openness with regard to the vagina represents, I believe, a better comprehension of how it functions and an overall acceptance of self and sexuality. Most women are humiliatingly devoid of understandings of their own bodies and cultural evaluations of the vagina are yet to be established. The Vagina Monologues seemed to be making body feminism palatable to the masses. Productions such as this are essential to breaking through the barriers of shame and ignorance that confront women when thinking of their bodies.
Maggie Rose Ortins: I attended the meeting in room 229 Burke Hall on April 28th. During this time a few of the TAs from the Hip Hop class some of my classmates from the class and myself shared some of our favorite pieces from B+, Brian Cross. I was not very familiar with the work of B+ until I looked through some of his portfolios that Dr. Deff had emailed me the links to. The different albums each encompassed a different feeling. Clicking through the photos made me want to know more about the individuals and locals captured in the frames. One of my favorite photos from the collection was one of the artist Snoop Dogg. The link to it is: [http://www.mochilla.com/bplus/ortfolio?oid=1057] ("Mochilla/B+").This whole series is super fresh, I defiantly saved some photos . One song that was shared really stood out to me also, it was called the Miguel Atwood Ensemble ft. Aloe Blacc ("Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble "deliver the World" ft. Aloe Blacc")
On April 4, 2011, I attended a focus group meeting conducted in Burke Hall room 229. The main discussion of the meeting was about students’ perceptions and experiences of online classes. I was able to share some of my successes and concerns about two elective online classes I have taken at SFSU. One interesting point that was brought up during the discussion was the prospect of providing more science courses online. As a dietetics student who has to take numerous science classes, I think this is a good idea. Reflecting back, I recall many times where the lecture materials were difficult to understand. If the lectures were recorded, I would have been able to view them again to clarify the uncertainty.
I enjoyed taking my wife, who recently came to the US, to see The Vagina Monologues play that was performed by SFSU students on April 13, 2011. My wife knows very little English, but was able to understand the play’s universal themes of female closeness, helplessness, and sexual maturity/self-discovery. The Vagina Monologues in conjunction with V Day, a worldwide movement, helped to raise awareness and prevention of violence against women and girls. My wife told me that this play was also performed in Vietnam; however, not many people knew of it. Overall, we enjoyed the play and had an exciting evening filled with laughter and thoughtfulness.
Going to watch Donald Lacey's "Colorstruck" was a very eye opening and humorous experience. The way he used humor to shed light on serious issues and convey important messages seemed effortless. He intertwined all of these things so fluidly, that often I found myself learning a valuable lesson mid laugh. When he discussed Hip Hop and it's role in the power of "blackness" it was very interesting and captivating. He helped further explain that "The role of blackness in Hiphop shows up as well in its deployment of African American culture and language, in particular African American English (AAE)" (Fischer and Morgan 511). All in all I am extremely happy I went because it was the type of production that you don't see often.
Works Cited:
Fisher, Dawn, and Marcyliena Morgan. Re-presenting reality. 511. Print.
When I first read the excerpts assigned from Dan Charnas's "The Big Payback" I was immediately sold. After buying the book I've read several other chapters and am enjoying every single one. When he explained part of how the music industry worked such as "Commit only to a single. Put some money into a relatively inexpensive video. See how it does. if it pops, pick up the album option. If it doesn't, consider dropping the artist." (Charnas 436). It opened my eyes to how the music industry chooses which artists to back vs. not back and helped my interest in the subject grow.
I had a great time attending the Black Student Union's Hip Hop showcase in Jack Adams hall. The people they had speak before the performances were really funny and entertaining. The performances were my favorite part because it gave me the opportunity to see just a sliver of the talented students that we have here at SFSU. As described in an excerpt from Fischer and Morgan's 'Hiphop and Race' "As the influence of Hiphop spread and more and more youth became involved in its creation," (Fischer and Morgan 513) and this showcase was the perfect example of that.
Works Cited:
Fisher, Dawn, and Marcyliena Morgan. Re-presenting reality. 513. Print.
When I heard about the opportunity to attend a meeting being held by the people who ran iLearn I thought it was awesome. It was really good to be able to discuss the positives and negatives about iLearn. What should be and shouldn't be changed, and it was nice to see that they legitimately cared about the responses and answers we took the time to give.
Getting the chance to volunteer for Refa1 at the Hip Hop art gallery he arranged in Oakland was an amazing experience. Getting the chance to immerse myself further in the Hip Hop culture was truly enriching. I had never really known anything about the writing element of Hip Hop so this was the perfect setting to learn about it. Each piece was ridiculously good, and all the artists that were in attendance were humble and so willing to talk about their art, life, Hip Hop and anything else really. I learned that "Writers contract tags not only as stylized personal references, but out of shared stylistic traditions and aesthetic orientations." (Ferrell 60) and several other things I had never known before that night. That night I learned what writing was really all about, and that it wasn't some illegal, disrespectful, nonsensical thing that the media had painted it to look like.
Visiting Stanford to watch the panel for "Global Flow" was really exciting. Being surrounded by an auditorium full of people with the same interests and passions as myself, all to watch respected professors and Hip Hop aficionados was almost overwhelming. The coolest part was seeing how the music and culture doesn't just stay in one place with "The youth who birthed Hiphop" (Fischer and Morgan 510). Rather, the magic of Hip Hop (in my opinion) is that it has spread itself to touch almost every corner of the world, in positive and life changing ways. "As important to Hiphop as representing the landscape from which one came, is the need to transform it into something bigger and better." (Fischer and Morgan 515) which is exactly what it has done. It was wonderful to see how much love people had for Hip Hop (especially in different languages!). Its awesome to be reminded how Hip Hop is not just a genre of music, but it's own culture, it's own political force, and it's own economical force too.
Works Cited: Fisher, Dawn, and Marcyliena Morgan. Re-presenting reality. 510,515. Print.
The Vagina Monologues, through recommendations from others and light research, was something I really wanted to see. This rendition of the play was masterfully performed by SF State students in Knuth hall in the creative arts building. The delicate balance between humor and heart-wrenching emotion is what made the show so enjoyable to watch. Every monologue related back to a women’s experience with their vagina whether it be through simple anatomy, consensual sex, love, rape or violence, or even just a description of it. A theme that connects the stories is that the vagina is a tool for female empowerment and the embodiment of a woman’s individuality. “We need a voice like our music --- one that samples and layers many voices, injects it’s sensibilities into the old and flips it into something new, proactive, and powerful” (Morgan 328) This quote epitomizing hiphop feminism sounds as though it was written directly about this play. Similar to one goal of hiphop, Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues gives voice to the voiceless through the use of narrative and storytelling. Women with intersecting oppressions including gender, many different races, sexuality, disability, age, and other factors of oppression were interviewed. By collecting and sharing interviews from all these individual women about their lives, their sexuality, and their vagina she creates a sort of group knowledge which is important in the road to self-definition (Black Feminist Thought P.H. Collins).
On Wednesday April 13, I attended the Vagina Monologues at SFSU. The Vagina Monologues is a play that supports V-Day, a global movement to raise/promote awareness of violence against women and girls, and to stop this violence via raising money and globally spreading knowledge of rape, sex slavery, genital mutilations, etc and its affects on the women abused. One of the beneficiaries of SFSU’s Vagina Monologues was SAFE Place, a (Sexual Abuse Free Environment) resource center that is part of SFSU’s prevention education program, located in our Student Services building (M-F, 8am-5pm).
The strength of this play was its in-your-face enactment of real life stories that real women specifically experienced and retold. It is in direct relation to the two weeks we spent on gender based violence and healing in hip hop/media. In “Hip-Hop Feminist”, Joan Morgan states that “defining ourselves solely by our oppression denies us the very magic of who we are,” and that her “feminism simply refuses to give sexism or racism that much power.” (Morgan, 2004:281) The Vagina Monologues presented that exact same statement through the art of reenactment, demonstrating that as women, we must not define ourselves by the oppression of being women/our vaginas/the word vagina that the media and misogynistic thinking have provided us with. Instead, we must reclaim and embrace it, because it is the magic of who we are, indeed.
On April 4th, I attended a small student focus group meeting in Burk Hall 229. The meeting focused on the students’ outlook on online education, specifically SFSU’s online education via iLearn. Representatives asked students questions such as, “Have you ever taken online courses here at SF State? If so, what was your experience? Why do you feel that way?” They recorded feedback and specific quotes. They were there to find out what our personal experiences with online learning were so that they put money toward improvements in the most beneficial way possible.
This meeting/extra credit opportunity specifically related to our week of studying industry and entrepreneurship. Just like with the media, there is a specific function for a product in question, to create profit. At the end of the day, however, the consumer is in control of the products consumption, improvement, etc. The consumer just has to be aware of that fact and utilize the power they have. Despite our large student body, only a handful of people showed up for the meeting to use their voice to create change for the better. We all gave amazing feedback, but we also had our concerns. In “The Big Payback,” it is stated that “Rubin suggested that labels… weren’t record companies at all. They were banks… they didn’t care about music.” (Charnas, 2010:138) It was mentioned that if the meeting was not truly about benefiting the students, but rather financial profit, it would not be worth the trouble.
I’ve always heard about the Vagina Monologues so I was looking forward to finally seeing them. Not exactly sure of what they were about, my initial expectation was to hear the obstacles and rights of passage women go through in regards to their vaginas. For the most part that was it; each of the performers told a tale of one aspect of their vaginas, all in efforts to support the everyday struggle. As a Sexual Health PEACH (Peer Educator Advocating Campus Health) I was very involved during the show; we had three tables filled with games, t-shirts and information about the message and purpose of the Vagina Monologues. This year, the monologues, by Eve Ensler, the purpose was to raise awareness in order to stop violence against women and girls and raise funds to benefit The SAFE Place, Student Health Services PEACH, ASI Women’s Center and Women and Girls in Haiti. I believe spreading the message in this light is essential to breaking walls which otherwise would have stood tall. Similar to the principles of hiphop, Ensler’s extensive interview process gave voice to the typically voiceless. It allowed women with intersecting oppressions an outlet to tell their stories about a historically taboo subject, sexuality. In the audience, I saw men, women, African Americans, Caucasians and everything in between. I saw there was a mutual level of understanding among the crowd that this narrative of collective women empowerment brought about and that in itself was powerful beyond words.
I attended Vagina Monologues with a few of my friends. Members from PEACH volunteered with this event that was held in the creative arts building. I found it to be more about poetry. The stuff that the women talked about was very disturbing, when they would talk about women being raped. Women being raped generally don’t have a voice, not saying that the performers were raped. But living in this so called “mans world”, what we go through hardly ever gets talked about.
This was community service that I truly enjoyed. I worked as an intern with First Class Arts, a talent agency centered on supporting hip hop culture and artists. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with this agency, because they focus on every aspect of Hip Hop and aiding the artists of the Bay Area as they look for jobs or places to display their work. I completed my hours by spending half of it assisting with choreographing a short dance, and the other half researching/looking for different opportunities FCA could provide for its clients. As an artist for a different agency, I thought I knew the ins and outs of how things work. It was good for me to be on the other side and see what kind of work and effort goes into building a business that is created solely to help the Hip Hop community.
KRS-One gave an amazing definition of Hip Hop, stating that “In its true essence, Hiphop cannot be (and should not be) interpreted or described fully in words. It is a feeling. An awareness.” (KRS-One, 2000:2) This definition is the epitome of the atmosphere I experienced working at FCA, especially working with the other choreographers of FCA. There was truly a feeling I cannot even describe, simply because we were all in the same place together working on something we all loved to do. It was amazing, and I plan to continue working with FCA in the near future.
Shiva Bayat 05/12/11 AFRS 256 Attending the ‘Global Flows’ panel at Stanford university was a real treat for me. This class has helped me conceptualize and articulate how hiphop can be used as a tool for social justice around the world and how hiphop culture has transcended the U.S. One of the speakers; Samir, gave a very interesting lecture on hiphop in France and how its employed among 2nd generation immigrant communities, particularly Arabs and Africans. I was surprised to hear that France is the 2nd largest consumer of hip hop in the world after the U.S. I could feel the surprise reaction in the room in response to the comment and it made me think how disconnected the U.S. can be from the rest of the world. Samir’s lecture helped me connect issues of struggle from France to the U.S. and how the dominant mainstream society treats and marginalizes non-white people. I found Dr. Fischer’s lecture on how images of blackness in hiphop culture has been constructed in Japan. I appreciated the focus on female Japanese rappers, as that is an image we are not often exposed to. Dr. Fischer made a poignant point in saying that Japan is not a monolithic entity, but in fact is full of minority community where hiphop is used as a tool of resistance. All the speakers were illustrating in some way or another how hip hop is a voice of opposition for the marginalized all around the world.
Eduardo Taylor Extra Credit: Parliament Funkadelic at Yoshi's
On Tuesday, February 8th, 2011, I had the honor and absolute pleasure of experiencing the one and only George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic band at Yoshi’s in San Francisco.. I took a ride on the Mothership Connection and it was definitely a memorable experience like no other. We arrived a bit a late and caught the end of “Mothership Connection,” but we were still in for a long night of psychadelic funk from another dimension. The band went straight into their hits back to back, from “Flashlight” to “(Not Just) Knee Deep),” playing each song in its extended form suitable for the stage. Each performance of every song was mind-blowing, with band solos from almost every section in the group. I will forever treasure this evening as my first time witnessing the Godfather, George Clinton himself, and the rest of the P-Funk posse live. I have been a huge fan of the whole P-Funk music and era for quite some time now but I can honestly say that much of it is thanks to Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and whole G-Funk era. Through their music, I was able to travel back in time and discover this amazing movement and being able to witness this live felt like I was coming full circle. The P-Funk music is another example of music being able to surpass boundaries, as the audience that evening was very diverse. Just as in Rickey Vincent’s definition of Funk, the Parliament Funkadelic band displayed the most definitive exhibition and embodiment of “rhythm and attitude” possible that night.
On Thursday, April 28th, I had the honor and pleasure of attending a panel discussion at Stanford University on Hip Hop, race, and globalization with the one and only Dr. DEF, Jeff Chang, Samir Meghelli, and the rhyme animal himself, Chuck D. I have been a huge Public Enemy fan since I can remember, so just the name of Chuck D alone is what brought me out to this panel discussion. I have already been somewhat aware of the Hip Hop scene in France and Japan but it is always great to gain more insight from those willing to share. I am a big fan of the Hip Hop culture in Japan, especially the dance scene, and it was great to hear Dr. DEF elaborate on the scene further. As Jeff Chang introduced Chuck D, he said that Afrika Bambaataa was probably the first one to take Hip Hop international with the Universal Zulu Nation, but it was Chuck D who really went into the communities and met with people all over the world about how Hip Hop as a movement. Chuck D spoke with much passion, wisdom, as well as a good sense of humor. He covered many issues with the underlying theme being conscious and aware of social and political issues and being a part of the solution, not the problem. He quoted Prince saying, “be on top of technology,” instead of having technology control you and turn you into a robot. Overall, this was a truly humbling and inspiring experience and opportunity to educate and empower ourselves. I was also able to have my “Can’t stop won’t stop” book signed by Jeff Chang and my “Fear of a Black Planet” vinyl signed by Chuck D, so I was definitely ecstatic on the way home.
Eduardo Taylor Extra credit: Rock the school bells
On March 26th of this year, I had the honor and privilege of attending and volunteering for the 4th annual Rock the School Bells Hip Hop conference at Skyline College. I have been involved in the past couple Rock the School Bells conferences and they are always amazing to be a part of. I am also a native of the Daly City and South San Francisco area so it is great to see something with this magnitude take place in my own backyard. The daytime agenda featured several workshops focusing on different aspects of Hip Hop culture, as well as a panel discussion featuring Professor Cook as a keynote speaker. One workshop that I attended was the BRS: Boogaloo Robottin’ and Struttin’ workshop, teaching the history of the infamous popping dance styles that originated the Bay Area. The workshop was taught by Plik Plok, a member of the BRS alliance, along with other original strutters from the early BRS days. Being a popper myself, I already had some knowledge about the history of Bay Area dance styles but it was beautiful to see demonstrations by the original pioneers themselves. Following the workshops was a group discussion where folks were able to share what they learned throughout the day. Hearing younger kids talk about learning how to use Hip Hop as a tool to express themselves in a positive way is truly rewarding and inspiring just to be around. The evening featured a concert lineup of fresh, true school, Hip Hop acts covering all styles and elements of Hip Hop. The concert had a great turnout and everyone in the audience was loving it. The entire day was truly beautiful and uplifting, especially seeing Nate Nevado, the head director of RTSB, create this entire event from nothing and seeing it blossom to what it is today. This greatly inspired me to do bigger things in the future as well to give back to my community and that no dream is ever too big.
I went to see Chuck D extra credit opportunity at Stanford. It was an awesome experience being able to see Chuck D speak on such critical issues concerning our society today. I was also able to hear Dr. Fischer give her input on many issues both here in the US and overseas as well. The panel was moderated by Jeff Chang the author of one of the pieces that we were required to read for this class. One of the most interesting topics that I thought was addressed was the issue of education, Chuck D stated it isn't what you can get out of your education it is what you can put back in. Thought that was a cool point. It was good to hear all three speakers talk about topics that they were passionate about.
Ari, it will not let me upload my picture. I can show you in class or email it to whomever. Let me know. Thanks.
I went to see Chuck D extra credit opportunity at Stanford. It was an awesome experience being able to see Chuck D speak on such critical issues concerning our society today. I was also able to hear Dr. Fischer give her input on many issues both here in the US and overseas as well. The panel was moderated by Jeff Chang the author of one of the pieces that we were required to read for this class. One of the most interesting topics that I thought was addressed was the issue of education, Chuck D stated it isn't what you can get out of your education it is what you can put back in. Thought that was a cool point. It was good to hear all three speakers talk about topics that they were passionate about.
Ari, it will not let me upload my picture. I can show you in class or email it to whomever. Let me know. Thanks.
On April 18th, I personally attended the afternoon session of the Multiculturalism and Role of the University in Forging A Strong Civil Society in the Seven Hills Conference Center. I first heard a speech from Kyaw(Joe) Oo, an undergraduate at SFSU who spoke about the several different things he learned from studying at San Francisco State. After several speeches that engaged with methods expanding on ethnic studies with the different professors which had backgrounds in American Indian studies, Raza studies, and Asian American Studies, we broke up into small groups in order to speak about “the Role of a University in its Community”. We spoke about how HipHop in Sweden gave people that supported it, a sort of identity. HipHop artists were strong in 1995 in Sweden at the time but was naive in a way. They started trying to branch themselves with gangster rap, but there was a development with HipHop collectives that started helping local community problems in “folk” buildings. They even started networking from different countries by sending verses back and forth to each other. Many of the professors agreed that HipHop was an approach or a bridge towards a bigger education and better community. From “Cant Stop, Wont Stop” by Jeff Chang, he mentions that HipHop was an “idea machine.” It provided a bottomless well of stories; a generation’s sense of itself would begin to cohere. Hip is to be smart; hop is to jump forward or to strive for something even greater.
At The Hip Hop, Race, and Citizenship in Japan, France & the USA panel at Stanford University on April 28th, 2011, there were several powerful and enlightening speakers that honestly moved me and influenced me to see Hip Hop in a new light. Although learning through my Hip Hop class at SFSU that Hip Hop is international and seen through out many countries and cultures, the panel really sealed the deal. I enjoyed all the speakers, but I really enjoyed Dr. Gaye Teresa Johnson, I would definitely see her speak again. Something that she said, was to know your history. Even though this is simple, it means so much to me. Along with that, Chuck D also said don’t wait for people to tell you who you are, and its not where your from its where you are at. Both really short and straight to the point but I couldn’t agree more. In addition, the interview Davey D did of Chuck D in 2009 at the Hip Hop Archives Chuck D says, “Hip Hop is a world movement, we need to figure out how to align the momentum with the rest of the world, and figure out where our place is” (D. Cook, personal communication, April ,2009). This starts by knowing what you’re fighting for and who you are. As far as weaknesses, I wish it were longer and the audience got to ask more questions at the end, the interaction with the audience is what drew me in even more.
St. Ignatius College Rap Session Friday, April 27, 2012
I attended the Rap Session and arrived a bit late, but I was really happy to be able to attend the event because it was a great experience overall! Speakers like Mark Anthony Neal, Adam Mansbach, Elizabeth Mendez, and much more were at the event and I thought it was awesome! Overall they spoke about the politics of race and gender in the media and how it`s represented. I thought that was a really important topic to go over and I thought it was great to be able to discuss it! We also talked about racial profiling, and immigration. I think it was really interesting how we talked about pop culture films and television shows and about mainstream media. Overall It was a great event and many should attend Rap Sessions more often!
31 comments:
Jessie Peterson
2/22/11
“Colorstruck” Extra Credit
Directions: Submit your ticket stub to your assigned TA and/or otherwise document your attendance (sign in at the play, take a cell phone picture of you at the performance, say hello to your TAs and professor and show us your stub the night of the performance, etc). Post a SHORT 100-200 word response to the play to both the ilearn site and the def professor blogspot (following all guidelines of the extra credit rubric- except for the citation guidelines: you are excused from citations for this and only this extra credit opportunity).
Attending the play/comedy “Colorstruck” by Bay Area Activist and Donald Lacy was a unique experience. I have mixed feelings about this play. Overall I learned a lot and was impressed by Lacy’s performance. It was funny and sad all at the same time. I think that most of the things that he said in the play were true. The only thing that I really did not like is when he was talking about Obama and how he said that all white people are still racist. I disagree with this statement. Yes, I believe that there is still racism in America and some white people are racist but certainty not all. In the middle of the play Lacy cried out “Why do some of them hate us so much?”, I really appreciated that he said the word “some” in the question. The part where he showed the gruesome old pictures of the hangings of some African American people was the hardest thing for me to watch. This was so disgusting to see that (white) people did these kinds of things and I cannot grasp how people could have done those things. It makes me sad to know that so many people thought they way they did and did those horrible things to African Americans in those days. As any race, it is so extremely important to study, know, and understand history and why it happened. It is important to African Americans to know about themselves and it is important for all other races to understand what happened and why it happened so that history can never repeat itself. The part I appreciated the most was the ending and when the teachers were recognized. When they talked at the end it was so great to hear from them. They talked a lot about how this world needs change and how African American People need to emprise their race, learn about their history, and how all people need to come together and destroy any racism. They best thing said was when the professor said, “We need to create a new world, NOT a new world order!!” If people know the history and information behind this statement, you will understand. We as people should stand up together and fight for our rights as HUMANS, equally, not divided my race or anything else.
hi, good site very much appreciatted
Misgana Habtezion
Professor Fisher
AFRS 256
February 20, 2011
I, Myself, was Colorstruck
Going to Colorstruck, preformed by Donald Lacy, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I was not exactly sure of what to expect before attending, however quickly knew I was going to enjoy the performance. Starting out with a photograph slide show of significant African Americans, it was understood that he would be discussing everything African American. He began a conversation with the audience, making jokes about what Oakland has become and transitioning into to more serious topics, yet having a non-serious tone, making it easier for us, as the audience, to be comfortable with each topic. Talking about everything from the meaning of good hair, to the dark days of the African American’s past, Lacy had no reservations. He had a point and wanted himself to be heard. He attributed his success to his professors, which of whom he brought on stage after the show. I found that to be one of the highlights to the show, mainly because he took his gift around the world, then brought it home and showed his appreciation for where it all began. I would definitely recommend this show to others, and would want to attend his other shows. While informing us about the trials and tribulations his people have endured, he showed that they overcame adversities and can look good doing it. His message is uplifting and I encourage all to attend any of his shows.
Hip Hop Unity Jam by Alejandro Martinez
The Hip Hop Unity Jam was a great opportunity to get a little inside information about Hip Hop and also hear some great MC’s, as well. At the beginning we had a speaker talking about the origins and what is Hip Hop. The way he talked about Hip Hop and explained it was in a funny/comedian kind of way but he was getting his message across. For Example he mentioned that, “rap is talking to the people that it is being listened by.” Another way he rephrased it was a stupid rapper is rapping to stupid people simple as that, everyone has their different audience. He also mentioned that there is 3 elements of hip hop, writing, dance, and the DJ. He explained three different dances of hip hop from different parts of the U.S. First, break dancing which comes from the East Coast. Second, locking which originated in the West Coast and finally, popping which also id from the West Coast. He explained that when hip hop started the element of writing came from inside the person and the DJ was at first the life that started the party. After his informative talk about Hip Hop we got the chance to listen to many upcoming MC’s do their thing up on stage, I totally recommend people to attend the Hip Hop Unity Jam next year.
The Vagina Monologues Extra Credit
I really enjoyed watching The Vagina Monologues. I think most women need to see The Vagina Monologues to get people talking. For an understanding and openness with regard to the vagina represents, I believe, a better comprehension of how it functions and an overall acceptance of self and sexuality. Most women are humiliatingly devoid of understandings of their own bodies and cultural evaluations of the vagina are yet to be established. The Vagina Monologues seemed to be making body feminism palatable to the masses. Productions such as this are essential to breaking through the barriers of shame and ignorance that confront women when thinking of their bodies.
I attended the Multiculturalism and the Role of the University in Forging A Strong Civil Society in the Seven Hills Conference Center. There, professors from San Francisco State and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, joined together to discuss the field of Ethnic Studies and different methods for students to engage in extended learning in that field. Professors that specialize in American Indian studies, RAZA, Asian American studies, and Africana studies collaborated on why the field on Ethnic Studies is influential and important for all students to experience. After an hour of discussion, we formed groups with professors and students, discussing various topics about Ethnic Studies. In my group, we talked about how music, specifically hip hop, is a way to learn history in a way that is appealing to most students and how Ethnic Studies can be taught through music. Many of the professors agreed that music is an effective way to teach Ethnic Studies and not only expands students minds about different ethnicities and cultures, but also helps to promote community outreach.
I really enjoyed watching The Vagina Monologues. I think most women need to see The Vagina Monologues to get people talking. For an understanding and openness with regard to the vagina represents, I believe, a better comprehension of how it functions and an overall acceptance of self and sexuality. Most women are humiliatingly devoid of understandings of their own bodies and cultural evaluations of the vagina are yet to be established. The Vagina Monologues seemed to be making body feminism palatable to the masses. Productions such as this are essential to breaking through the barriers of shame and ignorance that confront women when thinking of their bodies.
Maggie Rose Ortins:
I attended the meeting in room 229 Burke Hall on April 28th. During this time a few of the TAs from the Hip Hop class some of my classmates from the class and myself shared some of our favorite pieces from B+, Brian Cross. I was not very familiar with the work of B+ until I looked through some of his portfolios that Dr. Deff had emailed me the links to. The different albums each encompassed a different feeling. Clicking through the photos made me want to know more about the individuals and locals captured in the frames. One of my favorite photos from the collection was one of the artist Snoop Dogg. The link to it is: [http://www.mochilla.com/bplus/ortfolio?oid=1057] ("Mochilla/B+").This whole series is super fresh, I defiantly saved some photos . One song that was shared really stood out to me also, it was called the Miguel Atwood Ensemble ft. Aloe Blacc ("Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble "deliver the World" ft. Aloe Blacc")
Tom Nguyen
AFRS-256
Spring 2011
On April 4, 2011, I attended a focus group meeting conducted in Burke Hall room 229. The main discussion of the meeting was about students’ perceptions and experiences of online classes. I was able to share some of my successes and concerns about two elective online classes I have taken at SFSU. One interesting point that was brought up during the discussion was the prospect of providing more science courses online. As a dietetics student who has to take numerous science classes, I think this is a good idea. Reflecting back, I recall many times where the lecture materials were difficult to understand. If the lectures were recorded, I would have been able to view them again to clarify the uncertainty.
Tom Nguyen
AFRS-256
Spring 2011
I enjoyed taking my wife, who recently came to the US, to see The Vagina Monologues play that was performed by SFSU students on April 13, 2011. My wife knows very little English, but was able to understand the play’s universal themes of female closeness, helplessness, and sexual maturity/self-discovery. The Vagina Monologues in conjunction with V Day, a worldwide movement, helped to raise awareness and prevention of violence against women and girls. My wife told me that this play was also performed in Vietnam; however, not many people knew of it. Overall, we enjoyed the play and had an exciting evening filled with laughter and thoughtfulness.
Going to watch Donald Lacey's "Colorstruck" was a very eye opening and humorous experience. The way he used humor to shed light on serious issues and convey important messages seemed effortless. He intertwined all of these things so fluidly, that often I found myself learning a valuable lesson mid laugh. When he discussed Hip Hop and it's role in the power of "blackness" it was very interesting and captivating. He helped further explain that "The role of blackness in Hiphop shows up as well in its deployment of African American culture and language, in particular African American English (AAE)" (Fischer and Morgan 511). All in all I am extremely happy I went because it was the type of production that you don't see often.
Works Cited:
Fisher, Dawn, and Marcyliena Morgan. Re-presenting reality. 511. Print.
When I first read the excerpts assigned from Dan Charnas's "The Big Payback" I was immediately sold. After buying the book I've read several other chapters and am enjoying every single one. When he explained part of how the music industry worked such as "Commit only to a single. Put some money into a relatively inexpensive video. See how it does. if it pops, pick up the album option. If it doesn't, consider dropping the artist." (Charnas 436). It opened my eyes to how the music industry chooses which artists to back vs. not back and helped my interest in the subject grow.
Works Cited:
Charnas, Dan. The Big Payback. 436. Print.
(Sarah Wallick-911393800-AFRS 256)
I had a great time attending the Black Student Union's Hip Hop showcase in Jack Adams hall. The people they had speak before the performances were really funny and entertaining. The performances were my favorite part because it gave me the opportunity to see just a sliver of the talented students that we have here at SFSU. As described in an excerpt from Fischer and Morgan's 'Hiphop and Race' "As the influence of Hiphop spread and more and more youth became involved in its creation," (Fischer and Morgan 513) and this showcase was the perfect example of that.
Works Cited:
Fisher, Dawn, and Marcyliena Morgan. Re-presenting reality. 513. Print.
(Sarah Wallick-911393800-AFRS 256)
When I heard about the opportunity to attend a meeting being held by the people who ran iLearn I thought it was awesome. It was really good to be able to discuss the positives and negatives about iLearn. What should be and shouldn't be changed, and it was nice to see that they legitimately cared about the responses and answers we took the time to give.
(Sarah Wallick-911393800-AFRS 256)
Getting the chance to volunteer for Refa1 at the Hip Hop art gallery he arranged in Oakland was an amazing experience. Getting the chance to immerse myself further in the Hip Hop culture was truly enriching. I had never really known anything about the writing element of Hip Hop so this was the perfect setting to learn about it. Each piece was ridiculously good, and all the artists that were in attendance were humble and so willing to talk about their art, life, Hip Hop and anything else really. I learned that "Writers contract tags not only as stylized personal references, but out of shared stylistic traditions and aesthetic orientations." (Ferrell 60) and several other things I had never known before that night. That night I learned what writing was really all about, and that it wasn't some illegal, disrespectful, nonsensical thing that the media had painted it to look like.
Works Cited:
Ferrel, Jeff. Crimes of Style. 60. Print.
(Sarah Wallick-911393800-AFRS 256)
Visiting Stanford to watch the panel for "Global Flow" was really exciting. Being surrounded by an auditorium full of people with the same interests and passions as myself, all to watch respected professors and Hip Hop aficionados was almost overwhelming. The coolest part was seeing how the music and culture doesn't just stay in one place with "The youth who birthed Hiphop" (Fischer and Morgan 510). Rather, the magic of Hip Hop (in my opinion) is that it has spread itself to touch almost every corner of the world, in positive and life changing ways. "As important to Hiphop as representing the landscape from which one came, is the need to transform it into something bigger and better." (Fischer and Morgan 515) which is exactly what it has done. It was wonderful to see how much love people had for Hip Hop (especially in different languages!). Its awesome to be reminded how Hip Hop is not just a genre of music, but it's own culture, it's own political force, and it's own economical force too.
Works Cited:
Fisher, Dawn, and Marcyliena Morgan. Re-presenting reality. 510,515. Print.
(Sarah Wallick-911393800-AFRS 256)
Saron Selassie
AFRS 256
Spring 2011
Vagina Monologues EC
The Vagina Monologues, through recommendations from others and light research, was something I really wanted to see. This rendition of the play was masterfully performed by SF State students in Knuth hall in the creative arts building. The delicate balance between humor and heart-wrenching emotion is what made the show so enjoyable to watch. Every monologue related back to a women’s experience with their vagina whether it be through simple anatomy, consensual sex, love, rape or violence, or even just a description of it. A theme that connects the stories is that the vagina is a tool for female empowerment and the embodiment of a woman’s individuality.
“We need a voice like our music --- one that samples and layers many voices, injects it’s sensibilities into the old and flips it into something new, proactive, and powerful” (Morgan 328) This quote epitomizing hiphop feminism sounds as though it was written directly about this play. Similar to one goal of hiphop, Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues gives voice to the voiceless through the use of narrative and storytelling. Women with intersecting oppressions including gender, many different races, sexuality, disability, age, and other factors of oppression were interviewed. By collecting and sharing interviews from all these individual women about their lives, their sexuality, and their vagina she creates a sort of group knowledge which is important in the road to self-definition (Black Feminist Thought P.H. Collins).
Vagina Monologues
On Wednesday April 13, I attended the Vagina Monologues at SFSU. The Vagina Monologues is a play that supports V-Day, a global movement to raise/promote awareness of violence against women and girls, and to stop this violence via raising money and globally spreading knowledge of rape, sex slavery, genital mutilations, etc and its affects on the women abused. One of the beneficiaries of SFSU’s Vagina Monologues was SAFE Place, a (Sexual Abuse Free Environment) resource center that is part of SFSU’s prevention education program, located in our Student Services building (M-F, 8am-5pm).
The strength of this play was its in-your-face enactment of real life stories that real women specifically experienced and retold. It is in direct relation to the two weeks we spent on gender based violence and healing in hip hop/media. In “Hip-Hop Feminist”, Joan Morgan states that “defining ourselves solely by our oppression denies us the very magic of who we are,” and that her “feminism simply refuses to give sexism or racism that much power.” (Morgan, 2004:281) The Vagina Monologues presented that exact same statement through the art of reenactment, demonstrating that as women, we must not define ourselves by the oppression of being women/our vaginas/the word vagina that the media and misogynistic thinking have provided us with. Instead, we must reclaim and embrace it, because it is the magic of who we are, indeed.
iLearn Focus Group (Meeting)
On April 4th, I attended a small student focus group meeting in Burk Hall 229. The meeting focused on the students’ outlook on online education, specifically SFSU’s online education via iLearn. Representatives asked students questions such as, “Have you ever taken online courses here at SF State? If so, what was your experience? Why do you feel that way?” They recorded feedback and specific quotes. They were there to find out what our personal experiences with online learning were so that they put money toward improvements in the most beneficial way possible.
This meeting/extra credit opportunity specifically related to our week of studying industry and entrepreneurship. Just like with the media, there is a specific function for a product in question, to create profit. At the end of the day, however, the consumer is in control of the products consumption, improvement, etc. The consumer just has to be aware of that fact and utilize the power they have. Despite our large student body, only a handful of people showed up for the meeting to use their voice to create change for the better. We all gave amazing feedback, but we also had our concerns. In “The Big Payback,” it is stated that “Rubin suggested that labels… weren’t record companies at all. They were banks… they didn’t care about music.” (Charnas, 2010:138) It was mentioned that if the meeting was not truly about benefiting the students, but rather financial profit, it would not be worth the trouble.
Misgana Habtezion
Professor Fischer
AFRS 256
May 12, 2011
Vagina Monologues
I’ve always heard about the Vagina Monologues so I was looking forward to finally seeing them. Not exactly sure of what they were about, my initial expectation was to hear the obstacles and rights of passage women go through in regards to their vaginas. For the most part that was it; each of the performers told a tale of one aspect of their vaginas, all in efforts to support the everyday struggle. As a Sexual Health PEACH (Peer Educator Advocating Campus Health) I was very involved during the show; we had three tables filled with games, t-shirts and information about the message and purpose of the Vagina Monologues. This year, the monologues, by Eve Ensler, the purpose was to raise awareness in order to stop violence against women and girls and raise funds to benefit The SAFE Place, Student Health Services PEACH, ASI Women’s Center and Women and Girls in Haiti. I believe spreading the message in this light is essential to breaking walls which otherwise would have stood tall. Similar to the principles of hiphop, Ensler’s extensive interview process gave voice to the typically voiceless. It allowed women with intersecting oppressions an outlet to tell their stories about a historically taboo subject, sexuality. In the audience, I saw men, women, African Americans, Caucasians and everything in between. I saw there was a mutual level of understanding among the crowd that this narrative of collective women empowerment brought about and that in itself was powerful beyond words.
I attended Vagina Monologues with a few of my friends. Members from PEACH volunteered with this event that was held in the creative arts building. I found it to be more about poetry. The stuff that the women talked about was very disturbing, when they would talk about women being raped. Women being raped generally don’t have a voice, not saying that the performers were raped. But living in this so called “mans world”, what we go through hardly ever gets talked about.
The Opportunity to Work with FIRST CLASS ARTS
This was community service that I truly enjoyed. I worked as an intern with First Class Arts, a talent agency centered on supporting hip hop culture and artists. I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with this agency, because they focus on every aspect of Hip Hop and aiding the artists of the Bay Area as they look for jobs or places to display their work. I completed my hours by spending half of it assisting with choreographing a short dance, and the other half researching/looking for different opportunities FCA could provide for its clients. As an artist for a different agency, I thought I knew the ins and outs of how things work. It was good for me to be on the other side and see what kind of work and effort goes into building a business that is created solely to help the Hip Hop community.
KRS-One gave an amazing definition of Hip Hop, stating that “In its true essence, Hiphop cannot be (and should not be) interpreted or described fully in words. It is a feeling. An awareness.” (KRS-One, 2000:2) This definition is the epitome of the atmosphere I experienced working at FCA, especially working with the other choreographers of FCA. There was truly a feeling I cannot even describe, simply because we were all in the same place together working on something we all loved to do. It was amazing, and I plan to continue working with FCA in the near future.
Shiva Bayat
05/12/11
Shiva Bayat
05/12/11
AFRS 256
Attending the ‘Global Flows’ panel at Stanford university was a real treat for me. This class has helped me conceptualize and articulate how hiphop can be used as a tool for social justice around the world and how hiphop culture has transcended the U.S. One of the speakers; Samir, gave a very interesting lecture on hiphop in France and how its employed among 2nd generation immigrant communities, particularly Arabs and Africans. I was surprised to hear that France is the 2nd largest consumer of hip hop in the world after the U.S. I could feel the surprise reaction in the room in response to the comment and it made me think how disconnected the U.S. can be from the rest of the world. Samir’s lecture helped me connect issues of struggle from France to the U.S. and how the dominant mainstream society treats and marginalizes non-white people. I found Dr. Fischer’s lecture on how images of blackness in hiphop culture has been constructed in Japan. I appreciated the focus on female Japanese rappers, as that is an image we are not often exposed to. Dr. Fischer made a poignant point in saying that Japan is not a monolithic entity, but in fact is full of minority community where hiphop is used as a tool of resistance. All the speakers were illustrating in some way or another how hip hop is a voice of opposition for the marginalized all around the world.
Eduardo Taylor
Extra Credit: Parliament Funkadelic at Yoshi's
On Tuesday, February 8th, 2011, I had the honor and absolute pleasure of experiencing the one and only George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic band at Yoshi’s in San Francisco.. I took a ride on the Mothership Connection and it was definitely a memorable experience like no other. We arrived a bit a late and caught the end of “Mothership Connection,” but we were still in for a long night of psychadelic funk from another dimension. The band went straight into their hits back to back, from “Flashlight” to “(Not Just) Knee Deep),” playing each song in its extended form suitable for the stage. Each performance of every song was mind-blowing, with band solos from almost every section in the group. I will forever treasure this evening as my first time witnessing the Godfather, George Clinton himself, and the rest of the P-Funk posse live.
I have been a huge fan of the whole P-Funk music and era for quite some time now but I can honestly say that much of it is thanks to Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and whole G-Funk era. Through their music, I was able to travel back in time and discover this amazing movement and being able to witness this live felt like I was coming full circle. The P-Funk music is another example of music being able to surpass boundaries, as the audience that evening was very diverse. Just as in Rickey Vincent’s definition of Funk, the Parliament Funkadelic band displayed the most definitive exhibition and embodiment of “rhythm and attitude” possible that night.
Eduardo Taylor
Extra Credit: Chuck D at Stanford
On Thursday, April 28th, I had the honor and pleasure of attending a panel discussion at Stanford University on Hip Hop, race, and globalization with the one and only Dr. DEF, Jeff Chang, Samir Meghelli, and the rhyme animal himself, Chuck D. I have been a huge Public Enemy fan since I can remember, so just the name of Chuck D alone is what brought me out to this panel discussion. I have already been somewhat aware of the Hip Hop scene in France and Japan but it is always great to gain more insight from those willing to share. I am a big fan of the Hip Hop culture in Japan, especially the dance scene, and it was great to hear Dr. DEF elaborate on the scene further.
As Jeff Chang introduced Chuck D, he said that Afrika Bambaataa was probably the first one to take Hip Hop international with the Universal Zulu Nation, but it was Chuck D who really went into the communities and met with people all over the world about how Hip Hop as a movement. Chuck D spoke with much passion, wisdom, as well as a good sense of humor. He covered many issues with the underlying theme being conscious and aware of social and political issues and being a part of the solution, not the problem. He quoted Prince saying, “be on top of technology,” instead of having technology control you and turn you into a robot. Overall, this was a truly humbling and inspiring experience and opportunity to educate and empower ourselves. I was also able to have my “Can’t stop won’t stop” book signed by Jeff Chang and my “Fear of a Black Planet” vinyl signed by Chuck D, so I was definitely ecstatic on the way home.
Eduardo Taylor
Extra credit: Rock the school bells
On March 26th of this year, I had the honor and privilege of attending and volunteering for the 4th annual Rock the School Bells Hip Hop conference at Skyline College. I have been involved in the past couple Rock the School Bells conferences and they are always amazing to be a part of. I am also a native of the Daly City and South San Francisco area so it is great to see something with this magnitude take place in my own backyard. The daytime agenda featured several workshops focusing on different aspects of Hip Hop culture, as well as a panel discussion featuring Professor Cook as a keynote speaker. One workshop that I attended was the BRS: Boogaloo Robottin’ and Struttin’ workshop, teaching the history of the infamous popping dance styles that originated the Bay Area. The workshop was taught by Plik Plok, a member of the BRS alliance, along with other original strutters from the early BRS days. Being a popper myself, I already had some knowledge about the history of Bay Area dance styles but it was beautiful to see demonstrations by the original pioneers themselves. Following the workshops was a group discussion where folks were able to share what they learned throughout the day. Hearing younger kids talk about learning how to use Hip Hop as a tool to express themselves in a positive way is truly rewarding and inspiring just to be around.
The evening featured a concert lineup of fresh, true school, Hip Hop acts covering all styles and elements of Hip Hop. The concert had a great turnout and everyone in the audience was loving it. The entire day was truly beautiful and uplifting, especially seeing Nate Nevado, the head director of RTSB, create this entire event from nothing and seeing it blossom to what it is today. This greatly inspired me to do bigger things in the future as well to give back to my community and that no dream is ever too big.
I went to see Chuck D extra credit opportunity at Stanford. It was an awesome experience being able to see Chuck D speak on such critical issues concerning our society today. I was also able to hear Dr. Fischer give her input on many issues both here in the US and overseas as well. The panel was moderated by Jeff Chang the author of one of the pieces that we were required to read for this class. One of the most interesting topics that I thought was addressed was the issue of education, Chuck D stated it isn't what you can get out of your education it is what you can put back in. Thought that was a cool point. It was good to hear all three speakers talk about topics that they were passionate about.
Ari, it will not let me upload my picture. I can show you in class or email it to whomever. Let me know. Thanks.
Bryce Miller
I went to see Chuck D extra credit opportunity at Stanford. It was an awesome experience being able to see Chuck D speak on such critical issues concerning our society today. I was also able to hear Dr. Fischer give her input on many issues both here in the US and overseas as well. The panel was moderated by Jeff Chang the author of one of the pieces that we were required to read for this class. One of the most interesting topics that I thought was addressed was the issue of education, Chuck D stated it isn't what you can get out of your education it is what you can put back in. Thought that was a cool point. It was good to hear all three speakers talk about topics that they were passionate about.
Ari, it will not let me upload my picture. I can show you in class or email it to whomever. Let me know. Thanks.
Bryce Miller
On April 18th, I personally attended the afternoon session of the Multiculturalism and Role of the University in Forging A Strong Civil Society in the Seven Hills Conference Center. I first heard a speech from Kyaw(Joe) Oo, an undergraduate at SFSU who spoke about the several different things he learned from studying at San Francisco State. After several speeches that engaged with methods expanding on ethnic studies with the different professors which had backgrounds in American Indian studies, Raza studies, and Asian American Studies, we broke up into small groups in order to speak about “the Role of a University in its Community”. We spoke about how HipHop in Sweden gave people that supported it, a sort of identity. HipHop artists were strong in 1995 in Sweden at the time but was naive in a way. They started trying to branch themselves with gangster rap, but there was a development with HipHop collectives that started helping local community problems in “folk” buildings. They even started networking from different countries by sending verses back and forth to each other. Many of the professors agreed that HipHop was an approach or a bridge towards a bigger education and better community. From “Cant Stop, Wont Stop” by Jeff Chang, he mentions that HipHop was an “idea machine.” It provided a bottomless well of stories; a generation’s sense of itself would begin to cohere. Hip is to be smart; hop is to jump forward or to strive for something even greater.
At The Hip Hop, Race, and Citizenship in Japan, France & the USA panel at Stanford University on April 28th, 2011, there were several powerful and enlightening speakers that honestly moved me and influenced me to see Hip Hop in a new light. Although learning through my Hip Hop class at SFSU that Hip Hop is international and seen through out many countries and cultures, the panel really sealed the deal. I enjoyed all the speakers, but I really enjoyed Dr. Gaye Teresa Johnson, I would definitely see her speak again. Something that she said, was to know your history. Even though this is simple, it means so much to me. Along with that, Chuck D also said don’t wait for people to tell you who you are, and its not where your from its where you are at. Both really short and straight to the point but I couldn’t agree more. In addition, the interview Davey D did of Chuck D in 2009 at the Hip Hop Archives Chuck D says, “Hip Hop is a world movement, we need to figure out how to align the momentum with the rest of the world, and figure out where our place is” (D. Cook, personal communication, April ,2009). This starts by knowing what you’re fighting for and who you are. As far as weaknesses, I wish it were longer and the audience got to ask more questions at the end, the interaction with the audience is what drew me in even more.
Tiffany Ngo
AFRS 256 Spring 2012
St. Ignatius College Rap Session
Friday, April 27, 2012
I attended the Rap Session and arrived a bit late, but I was really happy to be able to attend the event because it was a great experience overall! Speakers like Mark Anthony Neal, Adam Mansbach, Elizabeth Mendez, and much more were at the event and I thought it was awesome! Overall they spoke about the politics of race and gender in the media and how it`s represented. I thought that was a really important topic to go over and I thought it was great to be able to discuss it! We also talked about racial profiling, and immigration. I think it was really interesting how we talked about pop culture films and television shows and about mainstream media. Overall It was a great event and many should attend Rap Sessions more often!
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