UPTURNING THE CHILDREN’S TABLE: HIPHOP born between 1964 and 1980. Not ready.

Not part of
GENERATION ATTEMPTS TO CLAIM LEADERSHIP Our Pioneering Club. They Haven’t Done The Things
But Are Meetings And Agendas Enough? We Have. They Don’t Know Anything.
By Todd Steven Burroughs
June 21, 2004 The 40-something Chuck D must’ve observed this,
too. Because he felt compelled to remind the 200 or
Originally published in the Spring 2005 Issue of the Jour- so delegates and observers to the first National Hip
nal of Hip-Hop [www.journalofhiphop.org] Hop Political Convention in Newark, N.J. last Satur-
day (June 19) that nobody old enough to be there was
The members of the HipHop Generation, also known as a “youth” anymore, regardless of what Baby Boom-
Generation X’s People Of Color and Progressive Whites ers say. That anyone 18 and older was a legal grown-
Division, are all turning 40 this year, and next, and next, up, ready to vote and to die in Iraq. And that grown
and to infinity-okay, at least all the way until 2020, when people had to handle their business themselves....
the last ones reach the Big Four-O.
The HipHop generation understands that it’s not
Before Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey and Lynne Whit- about Captain Jean-Luc Picard replacing James T.
field, before Bill and Hillary Clinton became White Kirk or Static replacing Black Lightning. It’s about
House residents and before the Black Panther Party had every generation creating action for itself. Rosa
regular reunions, turning 40 used to mean you were Clemente, a conference organizer, said on Pacifica
over-the-hill, ready for irrelevancy. The Baby Boomers, Radio’s “Democracy Now!” that the conference’s
now all between 60 and 40, used to say in the late 1960s planners did not ask anyone’s permission to hold a
and early 1970s that they couldn’t trust anyone over 30, national political convention and to represent progres-
because 30 was old-a sellout, a member of the Establish- sive America. Right. But until the HipHop Genera-
ment happily co-opted by the system. Now the formerly tion figures out how to carve a non-symbolic niche
Afroed and tye-dyed are running the world, and they as the middle child of three (competing?) genera-
don’t trust anyone under 40. An interesting concept: A tions of people of color, its actions are little more
generation who in their 20s and early 30s ran national than the production of another document, another
organizations (Black Panther Party, Students for a Demo- repeat of that well-known Frantz Fanon quote
cratic Society (SDS), Student Nonviolent Coordinating (“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity,
Commitee (SNCC), et. al.) now is explaining that, say, discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it”), another
37, is too young. (Meaning, of course, “too young to take well-meaning website and the (sometimes) empty
my job, my role.”) “Youth” now means under, what, 50? act of waving placards.

This new phenomenon particularly is true among Black It’s a challenge, though, not insurmountable to those
and Latino Boomers, who think (correctly?) that they who single-handedly created a worldwide, billion-
created the modern Civil Rights Movement, The Black/ dollar culture out of boredom, spray paint cans,
Brown Power Movement, modern America and post- cardboard, turntables and some 45s. It’s just going to
modern America. They’re just kids, they say of those require a difficult, and new, first step: fundraising and
buying the park before putting the speakers in place.
Further References and Websites:
The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis
in African American Culture, Bakari Kitwana
Politics and Culture from the perspective of the Hip Hop
Generation, Yvonne Bynoe
Socialism and Democracy, Issue 36, Hip hop, race, and
cultural politics [www.sdonline.org/backissues.htm#36]
Vibe History of Hip-Hop (edited)
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Jeff Chang
Davey D Message Board [www.daveyd.com]
http://p076.ezboard.com/fpoliticalpalacefrm57 piece by TATS CRU www.tatcru.com

2
 A Hip-Hop concert in Cuba 1. I give niggaz the truth, cause they pride is indigent
2. You better off rich and guilty, than poor and innocent
3. But I’m sick of feeling impotent watching the world burn
4. In the era of apocalypse waiting my turn
5. I’m a Harlem nigga that’s concerned with the future
6. And if you’re in my way it’d be an honor to shoot ya
7. Up root ya, with the evil that grows in my people
8. Making them deceitful, cannibalistic and lethal
9. But I see through the mentality implanted in us
10. And I educate my fam about who we should trust
“Harlem Streets”, Immortal Technique, Revolutionary
Vol. 2

Roles of Hip-Hop Activism Keys for Mobilizing Thru Hip-Hop

1. Relate issue to both history and present
Participant: Any person or organization pursuing 2. Educate of secondary and tertiary issues
the advancement of the Hip-Hop generation utiliz- 3. Form partnerships
ing any of the 5 elements of Hip-Hop 4. Be open to being educated
1. Bombing/Writing (graffiti) 5. Get multi-generational support
2. B-boying (breakdancing)
3. Dee-jaying Ideas For Hip-Hop Activism
4. Emceeing 1. Use media/art/performance
5. Knowledge (of self and culture) 2. Skits, movies, alternative versions of songs
i.e. “Move Bush, Get out the Way”
Author/Artist: Writing about Hip-Hop culture is a 3. Graffiti oriented fliers or Fonts
way to preserve the roots of the culture as well as [www.dafont.com]
enhance the population’s knowledge of the culture. 4. Open mic sessions
Organizational Leaders (or participants) – 5. Movie/book sessions
Involvement in a group that is trying to support 6. Breaking down rap videos for substance
explain, and ‘humanize’ Hip-Hop to the masses 7. Song/rap/poem/essay contest
8. Fashion show fundraiser
Teaching Hip-Hop: Teaching classes or forums on 9. CD/t-shirt fundraiser
Hip-Hop as culture, the history, values espoused, 10. Record a documentary
and identifying issues revalent to the culture. There are several major policy issues impacting Urban
America which tie in with Hip-Hop/urban youth
Hip-Hop activism encompasses all countries, cross-
ing language, cultural and geographic barriers. 1. Transportation
Class issues still remain though. 2. Housing
3. Health Care
4. Education
5. Incarceration Rates (especially Black and brown males)

In groups (which we will select shortly), create an advo-

cacy campaign which has the following characteristics:
1. Educates the masses on the issue
2. Employs elements of Hip-Hop culture
3. Has a multi-generational scope
4. Gets heard in the suburbs and rocks the boulevard
5. Is primarily targets the Hip-Hop genertion(s)
cartoon from Black Panther Newspaper
3
 Key Organizational Movements: Hip-Hop Activism in Action

Zulu Nation -- Goals of the Universal Zulu Nation

1. To educate, develop and improve the present state of mind of adults and youth around the world.
2. To spread our message of love, peace and unity amongst all races through our ways and actions.
3. To preserve the culture of Hip-Hop and all art forms created from it and to use music as a medium for cul-
tural exchange and understanding.
4. To provide a safe haven to nurture the inherent genius of adults and youth around the world.
5. To assist others in developing careers and opportunities as they express their God-given potential and talents.
Stop The Violence Movement: Raised over $600,000 for the National Urban League. Organized to promote
peace within the Hip-Hop community. Recorded the Song “Self-Destruction”
H.E.A.L. Movement: Human Education Against Lies, organized by KRS-1 was a production of a collaborative
video and album by artists designated to destroy common sense deficiency syndrome (CSDS). Artists involved
includeL Kid Capri, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Jam Master Jay, Chuck D, Jonathan
Demme, Ted Demme, Ziggy Marley. Proceeds went to distribute millions of free books to youth worldwide.
The Refugee Project: A non-profit created by the (Re)Fugees to champion underprivileged youth. Founded in
1996, the project encourages positive social action among at-risk youth.
Hip-Hop for Respect: This maxi-single, produced by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Devin Roberson, released on
March 14th in memory of Amadou Diallo and Tyesha Miller. Proceeds were given to the Hip-Hop for respect
Foundation, a non-profit organization that combats police brutality worldwide.
Hip-Hop Summit Action Network: Founded in 2001, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) is dedi-
cated to harnessing the cultural relevance of Hip-Hop music to serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and
other societal concerns fundamental to the well-being of at-risk youth throughout the United States.
Hip-Hop Congress: The goal of The Hip Hop Congress is to create a viable forum for people to learn, ex-
press themselves, interact with diverse ideas and cultures, and gain the tools they need to facilitate their own
goals. The Hip Hop Congress hopes to set up a global marketplace and network where like-minded individuals
and communities can connect, share resources and develop ideas and strategy. While the Hip Hop Congress is
founded on an ideal, our actions are pragmatic and powerful.
The Unbound Project: A compilation of rappers and poets trying to raise the awareness of the prison crisis in
the United States. The Unbound Project donates all of its proceeds to the Mumia Abu Jamal Defense Fund.
Honorable Mentions:
• Vote or Die: 2004 mobilization effort to increase the number of young voters in the presidential election.
• 2002 NYC Rally against projected $1.2B cut in funding for public schools
• All in the Same Gang: West Coast gang treaty organized by Hip-Hop in 1990
Hip-Hop, as with many popular cultures, is unique in the
sense that to accurately document the culture, requires its
interpreters to participate in its expressions. - KRS-ONE
Andrew J. Ryan, raised in the Bronx, New York, was the founding Executive Director of Hip-Hop Matters, a
non-profit organization whose mission is to energize, motivate, empower and support America’s youth through
responsible use of Hip-Hop culture. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Hip-Hop, an educa-
tional publication that embodies the elements of the Hip-Hop culture.
Ryan’s urban upbringing sparked his passion to integrate Hip-Hop and education. His primary interests revolve
around the use of learning technologies to address educational gaps in urban education. He has taught at the
university, high school and middle school levels (math) and is currently a visiting professor in the Center for
Academic Technology at the Univeristy of the District of Columbia . Here, Ryan manages the technology offer-
ings for over 500 faculty and recently facilitated a yearlong fellowship on Blended Learning.
Ryan has conducted over 75 workshops connecting the use of technology with established pedagogical practic-
es. Mr. Ryan holds a BS in Computer Science and MS in Systems Engineering and expects to complete his PhD
in ‘something’ eventually. His prior professional experience includes organizations such as Chase Bank, Boeing,
IBM, Lockheed aMartin, NASA, and the FAA.
4
 Hip-Hop and Activism
University of the District of Columbia
February 23, 2011
Facilitated by Andrew J Ryan-- hiphopprof@gmail.com

Hiphop, commonly spelled “Hip-Hop,” “hip-hop,’ “Hip-hop,” and “Hiphop,” is the name of our collective
consciousness and inner-city strategy toward self-improvement. In its spiritual essence, Hiphop cannot be (and
should not be) interpreted or described in words. It is a feeling. An awareness. A state of mind. KRS-ONE
Activism: The use of direct, often confrontational action, in opposition to, or support of, a cause.
GOALS
-The American Heritage® Dictionary
1. Each person will create a personal definition of
Hip-Hop for use in future activities LYRICAL ANALYSIS
2. Nurture one’s understanding of Hip-Hop as 1. I’m America’s worse nightmare
Culture and Movement 2. I’m young, Black, and holdin my nuts like YEAH!
3. Create an awareness of Hip-Hop Activism 3. Wish I was in the pub, having a light beer
[Past and Present] 4. I was in the club, having a fight there
----------------------------------------------------------- 5. Y’all can go home, husband and wife there
-- 6. My momma at work trying to buy me the right gear
7. 9 years old, uncle lost his life here
8. I grew up thinking life ain’t fair
9. How can I get a real job? China white right there?
10. Right in front of my sight like here (yeah)
11. Here’s your ticket to the ghetto take flight right here
12. Sell me you go bye, bye here, damn
13. There’s a different set of rules we abide by here
OUTLINE 14. You need a gun, niggas might drive by here
15. Y’all having fun, racing all your hot rods there
Introduction 16. Downloading all our music on your IPODs there
What is Hip-Hop? 17. I’m Chuck D, standing in the cross hairs here
Lyrical Analysis 18. Y’all straight, chicks got horse hair here
Demystifying the Origins Hip-Hop 19. Y’all ain’t got to be in fear of your bosses there
Black History in Hip-Hop 20. Y’all lose y’all job you’re pock-ridden
[Examing the Generational Gap in Hip-Hop] 21. Yall don’t care, so I don’t care
Threats/Challenges to Activism in Hip-Hop 22. Y’all acting like y’all don’t hear
Q&A 23. All the screams from the ghetto
24. All the teens stuck in mettle here
25. So they steam like a kettle here
26. Trying to take their mind to a whole different level
here
27. Yeah, we real close to the devil here
Although oppressed groups share common traits, op- 28. Gotta be a better way, somebody call the reverend
pression is experienced inside specific communities. here
Consequently, these hidden transcripts emerge not as 29. Yeah, y’all must really be in heaven there
overt cross-referential moments of protest, but as cul-
30. Somebody tell God that we got a couple questions
turally specific forms and expression . . . they depend
at some level on the addressed group having special
here.
access to meanings or messages and can assume the 31. My little cuz never got to see his seventh year
privileging of in-group experiences – rap music’s ar- 32. And I’m so used to pain that I ain’t even shed a tear
ticulation of social protest are moments of black social
protest. Jay-Z, “Young, Black & Gifted” (freestyle)
-- Tricia Rose, Black Noise