LOSQ
THE LOYAL OPPOSITION TO THE STATUS QUO, INC.
THE LOYAL OPPOSITION TO THE STATUS QUO, INC.
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LOSQ
THE LOYAL OPPOSITION TO THE STATUS QUO, INC. |
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Issues surrounding rap, hip-hop discussed at town hall meeting
Frank talk hosted by Ypsilanti group Sunday, June 24, 2007 BY TRACY DAVIS News Staff Reporter @ The Ann Arbor News Is it ever OK to use profane or insulting language about women or blacks? And if so, is it OK for some people, but not others? Those were among the questions debated Saturday during a town hall meeting, "Rap/Hip Hop, Who's Allowed and Who's Not,'' the first such forum on issues facing the black community. The event, which organizers hope to make an annual meeting, was hosted by the Loyal Opposition to the Status Quo, founded last year by Ypsilanti resident and attorney Raymond Mullins. In this case, it was not just Don Imus' infamous remark in April when he called a group of female athletes "nappy-headed hos,'' but the larger implications of power and the divisiveness of language. "We want to have people locally get engaged and talk about not so much what was said, but a lot of the other issues that were generated by the statement,'' Mullins said. The frank discussion, which featured plenty of audience participation and eight panelists, covered definitions of hip hop music, what it is to "act black'' or "act white,'' and the use of profane language and ebonics. The group also discussed the role of the media and the outside world in influencing the black community and how it is perceived. In the aftermath of Imus' remarks, made on his radio program about the Rutgers University women's basketball team, some said it wasn't a big deal because such language is commonplace in some communities, while others advocated for severely sanctioning Imus. (His show was canceled.) In the end, there wasn't consensus on every point, such as the role of hip hop in society. Ban explicit or derogatory hip hop? Some wholeheartedly agreed. Others said it suppressed free expression or was not the real issue. "Freedom of speech sometimes has a cost to it,'' said William Ratcliff, a retired school administrator. "Hip hop, look at what they say. There is a cost to it.'' Psychologist Byron Douglas agreed that messages and images need to be addressed, but said the bigger problem was "what we call ourselves and how we relate, and the message we put out to the wider community.'' Darrell Sanderford Jr., a 17-year-old student at Willow Run High, said he was puzzled by all the attention paid to Imus' comment because the talk show host had made outrageous statements in the past. He also pointed out that many hip hop artists, like himself, don't use the kind of language or subject matters that have given the medium a bad name. Brittany Kellum, a peer educator at the Shelter for Girls in Detroit, said hip hop is much more than popular radio tunes that sometimes make headlines. It's creative expression, she said. "There is no person who can speak for our community,'' said the Rev. Yolanda Whiten. "... There are black people everywhere in the United States; we need to decide each person has something valuable to say whether or not we agree with it.'' Tracy Davis can be reached at tdavis@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6856. |
