HIP-HOPUNIVERSITY M AGAZI NE February 2016
Black History Month
AM ER- I - CAN DREAM : FEATURING: MALIKYUSEF PHENE EARTHGANG NEIGHBORHOODCAFE ADD-2 ANDMORE!
W I TH G.O.O.D. M USI C ARTI ST M AL I K Y USEF
PHILLY CHARLOTTE ATLANTA CHICAGO
HIP-HOP UNIVERSITY THEWORLD'SFIRST HIP-HOPMENTORINGMAGAZINE
KickthePhonetics
WRITTEBBY:KiaO.MOORE
L et ?s t ake it back...All t he way back t o your middle school days. Now imagine t hat you are a kid who loves language t hanks t o your obsession wit h Hip- Hop; however, you st ruggle wit h reading. This is a day in your life: I t ?s L anguage Art s class and t he t eacher announces t hat it will be a Round Robin Reading session. The t eacher t aps on t he best reader in class t o st art t he session on a st rong not e. The st ellar reader finishes his t urn and t hen calls out t he name of anot her st udent . The next kid is not t oo shabby of a reader, eit her; but t his is t he snarky kid in class. All t he st udent s collect ively know t he snarkst er will pick a st ruggling reader t o go next . Their agenda: get a couple of chuckles out of t he rest of t he class at t he expense of anot her kid. Today, t hat snarky kid is gunning for you because you were t he one who embarrassed t hem in P.E. class just t wo days ago. (Bruh, t he middle school st ruggle is REAL .) W hen t he snarky kid is done reading, you t ake a deep breat h because you know your name is next . Payback t ime has come and t he L anguage Art s t eacher gave t hem t he perfect alley- oop t o embarrass you in front of your peers all while filling you wit h self- doubt . You hear your name, t ake a deep breat h, and dive int o t he humiliat ing wat ers of unknown words. You cringe as you st ruggle t hrough t hose big and small words you have no idea how t o pronounce or even at t empt t o sound out . As you read, you wish you could escape t he embarrassment and self- doubt by put t ing on your headphones and get t ing lost in a hip hop t rack. The music t hat you hear so clearly in your head, blast ing from t hose imaginary headphones, could have act ually helped you back t hen. Below, I describe a vocabulary t ut oring t echnique t hat I developed and unknowingly used back in my middle school days. L et me ?K ick t he Phonet ics? t o you here:
TheEquipment -
Headphones A personal music playing device [ M obile Phone, iPad, iPod, M P3 Player, CD Player, Casset t e Player (Yeah...I t ook it t here)] Playlist of songs from rappers and/or spoken word art ist t hat use more complex words and verse composit ion in t heir rhymes Print - out of t he lyrics t o t hose songs on t he playlist Blank paper Highlight er Pencil or pen Dict ionary Access t o Rap.Genius.com
""HURTANDPAINARELIFE'SHEALINGMECHANISMS"" properly conveyed t heir sent iment s). I t hought t hat was Supercali (Supercalifragilist icespialadocious)! These t wo are not a part of t he "rap game." They are in a bubble float ing over t his at mosphere bringing musical t herapy t o t hose who offer t heir souls t o it . Their lat est 14- song album, ?St rays wit h Rabies,? embodies an eclect ic sound including Hip- Hop, M elodic spazzie, jazz, alien, class, old school wit h present day fut urist ic, t ribal, symphonic, rockish, cult ic t herapeut ic waves sound. I t ?s t he t ype of "ish" t hat you mix wit h your binaural beat s t o heal yourself. W hat is Hip Hop? They are Hip Hop. I f you saw t he movie ?Brown Sugar? and you want t o be in love wit h Hip- Hop music again, I suggest you cop t he album for $9.99 in iTunes. As for t heir love lives, t hey bot h are support ed by t heir mat es. Doc said ?Being able t o depend on someone is good?. I n t his conversat ion on love, we all offered up different mist akes we all make in get t ing t hings right . I f you list en t o t heir lyrics, you will vividly see t heir lives. This int erview was about get t ing back t o t he right t hings of life and I ?d walked int o t he right door t hat evening. Doct ur Dot and Johnny Venus are t eachers of t he new age. They are unapologet ic about being t hemselves, being wild. Yet t hey also t ry t o be knowledgeable about life decisions, and allow t hemselves t o be influenced by good, living in peace and ment al freedom in a world oft en held in societ al bondage. (M y view of t hem.) We live in an age of societ al followers. They are self- expressive. People (children and adult s) could learn a t hing or t wo about defeat ing life?s problems, finding solut ions, and t aking a look in t he mirror from Eart hgang. Dot said, "I would solve my problems and correct my mist akes by st epping out of myself and looking at myself. I have become an observer of my own life. W hat bet t er a movie t han a movie st arring yourself?? I couldn?t agree more. I t shows you what needs t o be addressed. He added, "don?t oppress it ." I n life, self- assessment s can be revealing and quit e painful. Venus says ?Hurt and pain are life?s healing mechanisms.? So it wouldn?t be odd t hat Dot replied, ?reject ion is always t he mot ivat ion.?I was mot ivat ed! W hat is in st ore for us Eart hlings from t he New Age Hip- Hop Sensei Duo? Not hing regular. ?Never get caught up in t hat regular sh* * . Push t he limit s of your own creat ivit y,? calmly explained Dot . Wit h t hose words my friends, t ap int o yourself and wat er your root s. Growt h await s. M ay we be a posit ive gang on Eart h. One t ime for Eart hgang. L ast ly, may we all chant t he words ?I ?m somet hing special yea yea yea yea wooh? from t heir song "Simba," and embrace what we are. Cheers t o t he creat ors. M ay we all creat e. Each and every one of us! - L B
M U S IC F IE N D MARCOTIKS HHU: W hat ?s up brot her, t hanks for agreeing t o do t he int erview. So can t ell t he people who you are and a lit t le bit about yourself? M : Well first off, my name is M arcot iks. I 'm a music producer. I come from a family of musicians and creat ives so it 's in t he blood. I grew up bet ween Philadelphia and Williamsport PA and now I current ly reside in At lant a, GA HHU: So in honor of black hist ory mont h, can you explain how much black hist ory has influenced your st yle of product ion? M : Ok, so in order t o explain my product ion I 'd have t o go back t o my early beginnings. I st art ed off as a rapper and my fat her always had me list ening t o public enemy coming up.
""I AMCONSTANTLYDOINGWHATI CALL GENREBENDING"" So when I st art ed writ ing my own rhymes, I t ook on t hat kind of song cont ent . So I read st uff about M art in L ut her K ing, M alcolm X and many ot her Civil right s era black leaders. I kind of always wrot e about black pain, black st ruggle, and t hings I saw in my cit y. Then, once I got in product ion, I act ually st udied it t he same way. because all of my rhymes were really deep, I felt I needed a sound t hat mat ched so I dug for civil right s era samples t o help make me feel like my package was complet e. HHU: W hat makes your st yle of product ion so unique? M : Current ly my sound is super unique because I am const ant ly doing what I call genre bending. I mix so many different element s from different genres int o my beat s from American Soul and Rock t o Afrobeat and Soca t o Bulgarian jazz t o Turkish progressive rock and I don't just sample t hem I learn t heir similarit ies and differences and recreat e it wit h Hip Hop or Trap rhyt hm pat t erns. HHU: W hat is your biggest obst acle?
FUN AND GAMES
HIP-HOPINEDUCATION
I wouldn't be what many consider a "Hip Hop head?. I don't know every lyric t o every classic Hip Hop song as many of my t alent ed coworkers and boss. I don?t remember t he exact place I was when my favorit e Hip Hop song first played on t he radio. And, man, do I wish I had t he lyrical t alent t o emulat e my favorit e Hip Hop art ist . But what I can speak t o is t he growt h I ?ve seen in many of t he st udent s I work wit h t hrough Hip Hop. I ?m program coordinat or for Hip Hop on L .O.C.K ., an art s program based in Pit t sburgh, Pennsylvania t hat uses Hip Hop t o educat e young people . How t he program works: Our Engineering and W rit ing Educat ors work closely wit h yout h for 10 weeks t o t each t hem t he hist ory of Hip Hop, M at hemat ics in music, poet ry, writ ing and more. I n addit ion, st udent s work wit h graphic designers, phot ographers and videographers t o creat e t heir own album cover and music video. But music becomes more t han a t ool for learning academics and t he business and art of Hip Hop; it ?s an experience where I ?ve seen kids discover who t hey are and who t hey want t o become. For example, we get anyone from t he shy st udent who says she can't writ e t o t he guy who is out spoken and has been it ching for t he moment t o st ep int o a boot h. But what ?s t he common t hread bet ween t hese 2 personalit ies? Their POTENTI AL t o achieve more t han t hey expect ed. I ?ve seen over and over again, st udent s who st ick wit h our program become more confident writ ing lyrics, rapping in t he boot h, working t he sound board, creat ing st ory boards, and working wit h phot ographers and graphic designers t o creat e t heir own album covers. Not only do our st udent s go t hrough t he program, but many come back t o work wit h us. Some become videographers in t raining. Some become W rit ing Educat ors t hemselves. And even more get booked t hroughout t he cit y as performers. W hen I st art ed working wit h young people in t his capacit y, I 'm not sure I underst ood how much Hip Hop not only affect s t he fut ure but creat es a fut ure for many young people. Well, I guess DJ K ool Herc might have said t he same when he became t he founder of Hip Hop back in ?73. Hip Hop has become a business and an indust ry t hat has creat ed jobs, careers and in short , a livelihood for many. M y point is, music is import ant t o and for young people. A young person?s ident it y is even more import ant . And well, if music helps get t hat child closer t o underst anding what t hey were creat ed for, I consider t hat a day?s work complet e. You don?t need t o be a ?Hip Hop head? t o know t hat music mat t ers.
- Ranika Chaney, Program Coordinat or for Hip Hop on L .O.C.K . ranika@hiphoponlock.org
ADD-2
Chuck D knows it , we know it , but do t hey know it ? M ainst ream music cont inues t o receive, deserved crit icism from advocat es of posit ive music and cult ure but , t here are st ill plent y of art ist s t hat agree, ?Rap serves as t he communicat ion t hat t hey don?t get for t hemselves t o make t hem feel good about t hemselves. Rap is black America?s TV st at ion.? Chicago?s Andre Daniels, also known as Add- 2 or t he newest member of 9t h Wonder?s Jamla Records has found t hat using his music t o creat e a posit ive impact , t o balance communit y work and music, can lead t o great er success. The t wo aspect s of Add- 2?s life bring his mot t o, ?t he
ADDITUP
one man duo? t o life. I n recent years, he signed and released his Jamla debut "Prey For the Poor" t o a very posit ive recept ion while receiving his ?biggest ? look t o dat e wit h a feat ure on Talib K weli and 9t h Wonder?s lat est I ndie500. Also, he has spoken at colleges from Depaul t o t he Art I nst it ut e of Chicago t o Valparaiso Universit y on t opics including Hip- Hop hist ory, creat ive writ ing workshops and more. W hen he isn?t at t he st udio, you?ll probably find him working wit h local yout h, be it at t he music- ment oring program "Guit ars over Guns" (t hat he creat ed in collaborat ion wit h t he M t . Pisgah M issionary Bapt ist Church)or his upcoming residency at t he Young Chicago Aut hors?#W reckshop. These programs aim t o creat e a
NEIGHBORHOODCAFE BEATS&EATS
The Neighborhood Café is Charlot t e?s Hip- Hop answer t o t he nat ional rest aurant chain, Hard Rock Café. I t ?s locat ed at 1635 W Trade St ., where Beat t ies Ford Road and Trade St reet meet in Charlot t e, NC. The int erior is covered wit h memorabilia from black media including post ers from such movies as "X ", album covers from art ist s including a Tribe Called Quest , and plent y more. Alt hough t he cent ral t heme seems t o be Hip- Hop, it is so much more. Est ablished in 2015, Business Owners Damian and Jermaine Johnson t eamed up wit h t heir long t erm friend Eon L ewis t o open The Neighborhood Cafe as a part of Charlot t e?s hist orical HBCU, Johnson C. Smit h Universit y?s (JCSU) M osaic Village. M osaic Village is a $25 million 124,000- square- foot mixed- use facilit y at 1635 West Trade St . feat ures 80 apart ment - st yle suit es on four floors and accommodat es 300 st udent s at t ending JCSU. I f you are anyt hing like me, you would agree t hat as a count ry, we spend t oo much t ime locked in t o our ear buds, on t he comput er or on our iPhones. This is a place where you can put down t he t echnology and enjoy t he vibe. The Neighborhood Café is a place where people can have communit y t oget her in a great environment in a place of gat hering professionals and st udent s. Refusing t o separat e good t imes from good food, The Neighborhood Café serves up bot h on one big plat e. You can have your lunch wit h a side of freshly seasoned t unes or kick off t hat much- ant icipat ed evening wit h a hard core cuisine solo. You design t he set list and The Neighborhood Cafe will t ake care of t he rest .
- W rit t en by Albert Cart er
oft en int ert wined wit h t he hist ory of t he BPP; however, it was t he following programs t hat empowered t he BPP: People's Free M edical Clinic, The Breakfast Program, Yout h I nst it ut e, Seniors Against a Fearful Environment (SAFE), People's Free Ambulance Service, Free Food Program, The Black St udent Alliance, and The Black Pant her Newspaper. All of t hese programs were designed t o break t he links of t he divide and conquer t act ics t hat were t aking place in t he communit y. Now, let 's breakdown K . Dot 's line as it relat es t o t he divide and conquer t act ic discussed. K endrick creat ively and purposely merged t wo of t he biggest dividers in our communit y and world alike: gangs and polit ics. W hen he says, "which one you governin'," he's basically t elling you? you have t o make a choice (red or blue pill). Unfort unat ely, in many sit uat ions, t his is t rue? a choice has t o be made. I t 's a choice t hat can and will affect t he rest of your life whet her it 's immediat e, in t he fut ure, direct or indirect ? consequences will follow. This is not just limit ed t o gangs and polit ics. All facet s of t he human element is affect ed: physical (black vs. whit e), ment al (public educat ion vs. privat e educat ion), spirit ual (M uslim vs. Christ ianit y, and financial (upper class vs. lower class). These titles and st igmas were all designed t o cont rol t he way we t hink and live. I t 's almost set up as a dist ract ion? t o keep an un- unit ed front ? unit ed we st and, divided we fall. So where do we go from here? I want you t o rewind and t hink about what you've just read. Process t he informat ion. Go t o t he library and research t his t opic: Willie L ynch Syndrome. Aft er you do t hat , I want you t o pause and reflect on how you as an individual can be an asset t o t he communit y in breaking t he chain of t his division. Then, I want you t o fast- forward and envision what a t hriving communit y t hat st icks t oget her can and will look like. Think of t he empowerment and pride t hat will be inst illed. Once you're able t o do t hat , press play and be t he L EADER t hat YOU are dest ined t o be. I believe in you brot her/sist er just as I hope you believe in me. I n t he words of my man K . Dot ? We Gon' Be Alright !!!
- W rit t en by M ario D. K ing
""YOUCAN?TOVERLOOKHOWIMPORTANTITISTOHAVE LEADERSINYOURLOCALCOMMUNITY.""- PHENE P: Personally, I like where Hip- Hop is at right now. The I nt ernet gives independent art ist s plent y of opport unit y t o be self- made. One t hing I had t o learn along my journey is t hat everyone is not meant t o be Jay- Z or Drake. By t hat I mean, t here?s ext remely dope art ist s t ouring t he world t hat are not household names, but t hey make a good living doing what t hey love. Do I enjoy t he polit ics of t he indust ry? . Nah, I can?t st and it . But I t ry not t o let t hat cloud my vision and effect t his posit ive energy my t eam is focused on dishing out . HHU: W ho is someone t hat you would like t o work wit h in t he fut ure? P: I ?m big on R&B and t hat soulful st yle of rap. Wit h t hat being said, it ?d be fun locking in wit h BJ The Chicago K id and Jhene Aiko, 2 of my favorit e singers right now. On t he rap side, I ?d have t o say Nas, J Cole, K endrick, t o name a few. HHU: Hip hop music is influent ial in t he ident it y format ion of Black yout h, can you discuss t he idea of how hip- hop helped t o shape your view of t he world? P: Hip- Hop helped me pict ure how neighborhoods around t he count ry were before I was able t o t ravel and experience it for myself. Through Rap, I could list en t o Nas and feel like I was in Queensbridge wit h him.. or L ist en t o 2pac and feel like I was in L .A. Being from a small cit y, music helped me underst and t he world was much bigger t han t he st reet s I walked everyday. I ?ve always felt t hat t he best rappers have a clever way of bringing you int o t heir world, sneaking in some gems, and leaving you wit h some food for t hought t o grow wit h. L ook how Hip- Hop has found it s way int o schools and colleges now. You can?t deny t he power of a real message. I f you?re someone t hat feels Hip- Hop is st uck on st upid because of some of t he ignorant songs on t he radio, do some digging for yourself and see t here?s much more available out here! HHU: Thanks for agreeing t o t he int erview. Do you have anyone you want t o say or people t o shout out ? P: Appreciat e you for having me be a part of t he magazine! Shout out t o my High Off L ife squad, M arcot iks, and everybody t hat ?s helping t his moment um build for us. Follow me on social media (Search ?Phene? on all plat forms) and keep up wit h us on our websit e, www.HighOffL ife.com. - HHU
I nt erview Conduct ed by Albert Cart er
""YOUCAN?TOVERLOOKHOWIMPORTANTITISTOHAVE LEADERSINYOURLOCALCOMMUNITY.""- PHENE
AMER-I-CANDREAM: An Int erview wit h G.O.O.D Music's Spoken Word Art ist Mal ik Yusef
ARTICLECOMPOSEDBYKIAO.MOORE RESEARCHCREDITS:JELECIASLATON,ALBERTCARTER, KIAO.MOORE
M alik Yusef has become an ?Amer? of t he ?I Can? ment alit y. The Arabic t erm Amer t ranslat es t o ruler, commander, prince. Yusef has become t he ruler of his own ?I Can? t hought process. This ?I Can? ment alit y is deeply embedded in many American folkt ales t hat oft en share t he mot if - - ?Anyone can achieve t he American Dream.? You know, t hose American t ales filled wit h clichĂŠd phrases like ?He just pulled up his boot st raps?, ?She made somet hing out of not hing?, ?They worked t heir fingers t o t he bones? and so on. I n t he American folkt ale, more oft en t han not , t he hard work and ingenuit y culminat e int o t he BI G PAY - OFF- - achieving t he American Dream. This ?American Dream? t ale is remixed, ret old, and rehashed in every niche of American societ y. The st reet hust lers on t he corner moving product believe in t he American Dream. The st ockbrokers of Wall St reet slingin?fiat currency believe in t he American Dream. Parent s living from paycheck- t o- paycheck, t rying t o provide t heir children wit h bet t er opport unit ies believe in t he American Dream.The t op 1% of America?s socioeconomic st ruct ure is viewed as t he ext raordinary example of t he American Dream at work. I n an int erview wit h Rolling Shut t er Product ion, Yusef said, ?[ On t he Sout hside of Chicago] A lot of t hese people came out here looking for t he American Dream, and t he American Dream is just t hat ...it ?s a dream.? Once M alik Yusef realized, in his mind, t hat t he American Dream was not hing but a fabricat ion, he decided it was t ime he manufact ured his own. The dyslexic Chicagoan gang member, seeking t he st reet s?praise t o replace t he oppressive at mosphere he experienced wit hin t he four walls of his home, would in t ime evolve int o a chart - t opping, 17x nominat ed and 5x Grammy Award Winning songwrit er and spoken word art ist . This lucid American Dreamer navigat ed his career from t he st reet hust ler hanging wit h his Blackst one Rangers clique in t he Wild 100?s (a Chicago Sout hside neighborhood known for it s crime- ridden st at us), t o t he famed G.O.O.D. M usic Clique t hat cont rols t he soundt racks of neighborhoods from t he ?burbs t o t he boroughs t o t he flat s across t he ocean.
This G.O.O.D. M usic clique was formed over t en years ago in a hot el room during a conversat ion bet ween friends searching for a way t o make t heir own American Dreams come t rue. Chicago- bred wordsmit h M alik Yusef, along wit h R&B Crooner John L egend and uber creat ive rapper K anye West formed an independent music label t hen and t here. They all came t o t he same conclusion, t hey would come t oget her t o creat e t heir own lane so each of t hem could cont rol t heir own American Dream. For years t he indie label navigat ed various pat hways t o get t heir art out t o t he masses. I n 2011, t he Get t ing Out Our Dreams M usic label landed t heir very own global dist ribut ion deal wit h Def Jam M usic Group. This st reamlined dist ribut ion channel made t he broadcast ing of t he clique?s art work t o t he masses easier, but since Yusef?s st art in t he ent ert ainment indust ry, he has been walking in his dream. Yusef has accumulat ed a list of credit s t hat many
""EVERYONE?SHARDISHARD,EVERYONE?SDIFFICULTIS DIFFICULT. ITDOESN?TMATTERWHATITIS.""- MALIKYUSEF could only fant asize about . M alik?s credit s include creat ive collaborat ions wit h K anye West , Common, John L egend, Raheem DeVaughn, Teyana Taylor, Dr. Cornel West and t he list goes on. His poet ic influence can be felt in t he cult classic black romance film "L ove Jones". His creat ivit y is also covet ed by brands seeking t o bring t hat aura of ?aut hent ic cool? t o t heir product s. M alik?s spoken word, st reet psalmist st yle of st anza delivery exudes a subcult ural cool t hat promot ional campaigns crave. He has work wit h brand such as Sprit e, Coca- Cola, Nike, General M ot ors, Chrysler, Verizon, ASCAP and more. M alik was gracious enough t o t ake t ime out of his busy schedule t o connect wit h Hip Hop Universit y M agazine t o discuss t he import ance of creat ivit y, framing your own American Dream according t o your personal goals and t he value of self- pride. HHU: Thank you so much for t aking t he t ime connect wit h us here at Hip Hop Universit y. We really appreciat e you. L et ?s st art off by t alking about int ellect ual creat ivit y and what t his t erm signifies t o you? M Y : I nt ellect ual creat ivit y is a t erm t hat I t hink is much maligned because t hat is t he only real creat ivit y. You have t o t hink it before you do it . HHU: How does t his int ellect ual creat ivit y t ransfer over t o your music? M Y : I t ?s a pret t y similar approach t o how I creat e music...I guess. I don?t really writ e, so when I hear sounds I begin t o see shapes and colors in my mind. So when I go int o t he st udio t o record, I ?m allowed t o just splat t er what is in my brain ont o t he canvas and creat e from t here. HHU: As a spoken word, art ist , musician, poet , film & music producer, you have t o wear many hat s. I f you had t o choose only one of t hose descript ions above, which one would you focus on and why? M Y : That would be like focusing on one of your children. I t ?s not possible. I love t hem all equally, in different ways. Somet imes in different moment s, I am more proud of one t han t he ot her.
""EVERYONE?SHARDISHARD,EVERYONE?SDIFFICULTIS DIFFICULT. ITDOESN?TMATTERWHATITIS.""- MALIKYUSEF
line t o L ake Huron was ready. The river had a reput at ion for nast iness, and aft er t he April 2014 swit ch, resident s complained t heir wat er looked, smelled and t ast ed funny. Virginia Tech researchers found t he wat er was highly corrosive. A class- act ion lawsuit alleges t he st at e Depart ment of Environment al Qualit y didn't t reat t he wat er for corrosion, in accordance wit h federal law, and because so many service lines t o Flint are made of lead, t he noxious element leached int o t he wat er of t he cit y's homes." ' - Eliot t C. M cL aughlin
HHU: I n an int erview you did a few years back you ment ioned, ?t he American dream is just t hat , a dream.? How has t his idea shaped your career as a whole and has it made you view t he indust ry in a different light ? M Y : The knowledge of t hat has allowed me t o circumvent t he want and t he need of wait ing for someone t o rescue me...For someone t o show up and make it all bet t er for me. This ?rescue me? pat h would seem like it was a viable concept based on what we get from t he media. W hen someone needs help, we decide if t hey?re wort hy of our help everyday. So, I don?t believe t hat t his [ rescue me t hought process] is a mist ake in anyway, and I don?t feel like t his is an isolat ed incident . I feel like everyone want s help from someone in a bet t er posit ion t han t hem. Once you st art underst anding t hat you can bet t er your own posit ion, just even a lit t le bit , on your own - it st art s t o change [ for t he bet t er] . HHU: I s t here anyt hing else t hat you want t o say t o t he readers of Hip Hop Universit y M agazine? M Y : I t hink t hat we need t o, each day, do somet hing t hat makes us proud of ourselves. That is t he gem and light , no mat t er what you do for a living, who you have in your exist ence, do somet hing t hat makes you proud of yourself. - KOM
""THEAMERICANDREAMISJUSTTHAT, ADREAM...""
""WEARETAUGHTTHATOURHISTORYSTARTEDWI WHICHISFALSE--IFNOTCRIMINAL. SLAVERYINTE HHU: Do you believe t hat t here is st ill racism in t he US? RK : Do I believe t hat racism is st ill alive in t he US? Oh yes...it is very much alive. The t hing t hat many do not underst and about racism is t hat it is a syst em, and only t hose persons who cont rol and benefit from t he syst em can be guilt y of racism. W hat I am saying in so many words is t hat black people are not racist in t he same sense t hat a job seeker cannot be charged wit h nepot ism if he/she was denied employment by a manager of a company/ corporat ion who gave a family member or friend a job. I t must be universally underst ood t hat t he suffix "ism" means syst em. No one has a problem underst anding t hat capit alism and socialism are polit ical economic syst ems, t herefore, no one should have a problem underst anding t hat racism is a syst em. Africans in America have been under t he t yranny of racism since t he first African st epped off of t he first slave ship...and have been fight ing ever since! Racism is wide reaching and t ouches every segment of our societ y, from educat ion t o employment t o economics t o purchasing homes t o t he just ice syst em. We have been t he vict ims of dishonest banking pract ices from banks t hat st eer us int o subprime loans and will give whit es wit h similar credit profiles prime loans. We do not cont rol t he realm of employment and t end t o lose out on jobs t hat we are qualified or over qualified for. And when it comes t o t he just ice syst em...it has racism all t hroughout from police officers t o lawyers t o judges, et c. HHU: Do you t hink marches, sit - ins, and ot her demonst rat ions has helped or hurt t he movement s of civil right s past and present ? RK : There was a t ime t hat I honest ly believed marches and sit - ins were ideal solut ions t o t he issues t hat we face wit hin t his societ y; t he bat t le for int egrat ion. However, t he older and more knowledgeable I became, I realized t hat t hese act ions have hurt us more t han t hey have helped us. This t ime of year we are reminded of M L K 's "I Have a Dream" speech - and what an inspiring speech it was. But seldom do you hear of t he M L K t hat ut t ered, "I fear I may have int egrat ed my people int o a burning house." This was t he M L K t hat realized t he marches, sit - ins, and ot her demonst rat ions were t he incorrect approach met hods t o address t he plight of t he African in America. We have invest ed more energy in begging and pleading t han in building our own. W hen you were a child and t he neighborhood children would not allow you t o play wit h t hem, our parent s advised us t o go and find our fun on our own. However, in 2016, we have members of our race griping t hat once again t hat t he academy has not nominat ed a black act or or act ress for best act or/act ress or best support ing act or/act ress. I advise t he same philosophy we received in childhood: go creat e your own. M arching for black nominat ions will not change t he realit y of exclusion in Hollywood no more t han it has in having police officers indict ed for killing unarmed black people - from a seven year girl asleep on her couch in Det roit , t o a 22 year old female succumbing t o a fat al wound rendered by an officer shoot ing blindly over his shoulder in Chicago, t o a 43 year man being choked t o deat h on t he st reet s of New York Cit y. M arching may bring at t ent ion t o t he issues. But t o adequat ely address t he issues, we need t o change t he syst em. HHU: How were you influenced by t he event s of t he Civil Right s M ovement ? RK : I was very influenced by t he Civil Right s M ovement . Some dynamic ideologies were born during t hat t ime. There is an ocean of books and periodicals t hat everyone should swim in t hat come from t his period. One of t he best t hings t o come out of t he Civil Right s M ovement is act ivism. M alcolm and M art in t end t o receive t he most publicit y relat ed t o t he 1960's, and right fully so, but we should not forget t he members of SNCC, SCL C, t he Black Pant her Part y, and ot hers t hat t ook words and t urned t hem int o act ion for our people. These groups have plant ed seeds of act ivism t hat have sprout ed during t his generat ion. For inst ance, t ake New Era Det roit . Not only are t hey leading t he charge t o improve t he lives for t he cit izens of Det roit , t hey are very act ive in dist ribut ing wat er t o t he resident s of Flint , M I who are in t he midst of a humanit arian crisis due t o ext remely high levels of lead in t heir drinking wat er. M any people may not have heard of NED yet , but t hey will pret t y soon.
""WEARETAUGHTTHATOURHISTORYSTARTEDWI WHICHISFALSE--IFNOTCRIMINAL. SLAVERYINTE
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