There are a few people who have not yet posted a comment for The First Individual Exercise (posted Feb. 3, 2009). You need to do so ASAP. I am going to set a deadline of FRIDAY, FEB. 13TH. If you have not posted your comment by then you will NOT earn the five points for this exercise.
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: You may earn 3 points extra credit by attending the Black History Month Convocation next Tuesday, Feb. 17th at 11AM. "One of America's leading Hip-Hop generation intellectuals," Dr. Marc Lamont Hill will be speaking about "the intersections of Hip-Hop culture, race, politics, and civic engagement." To earn the three points you must attend of course and post a one- or two-paragraph reflection as a comment on this blog post. In your reflection, I want you to consider the relevance of his remarks for the kind of civic engagement and politics Dr. King practiced during what we might call the "Motown era."
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Dr. Hill spoke about how to move forward with the freedom struggle. In order to do this we must not only to celebrate the successes of the past but also acknowledge the dark spots even if they make us uncomfortable. Though we often see King as a popular, beloved leader we must remember that he died an enemy of the state and hated by many of his own people. King was disparaged in part because he did not simply stick to advocating for civil rights, but also crusaded to end poverty, supported labor unions, and protested the Vietnam War, among other things. As Hill emphasized, in order to enact positive change we must listen to those whom we would not normally interact with. Before his death King met with people who represented many different political agendas. He recognized the need to combine struggles, for example both blacks and whites could come together to fight poverty. To be a freedom fighter you must not only speak out about your particular issue but fight against all forms of injustice.
ReplyDeleteDr. Hill was extremely inspiring to me. He is a young intellectual with a talent for public speaking (reminds me of another African-American who had Dr. before his name)and a true sense of the race issue as it stands today. While Dr. Hill certainly did not stand up say that, "The white man aint going to let us do nothin" he also did not down play the struggle that Blacks especially, but women, and other minorities also are still facing. He did not try to give the same "post-racial" rhetoric which is common in political circles since Obama's historic campaign. His message was one that encouraged civic engagement on multiple fronts for multiple issues. He called for people to be outraged at all the injustice in life not just their own personal issue.He characterized it as "promiscuity" and it was very much in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. who not only fought for civil rights, but also championed a myriad of other social issues.
ReplyDeleteOk, Jessica O. and Monier.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed having the opportunity to hear Dr. Hill speak at Tuesday’s convocation. For me, he symbolized a tangible role model and someone who will be an emerging leader in the African American community. Dr. Hill’s message reminded me so much of Dr. King’s activism because Dr. Hill stressed the importance of “Risking the Self”. During his short life, Dr. King demonstrated this very principle, which he believed was necessary in order to bring out change in the American society. Furthermore, both of these leaders emphasized the importance of caring “for the least of these” in our society. Just as Dr. King, Dr. Hill understands that the poor have a muffled voice in our society and that we as a society cannot simply ignore their degradation.
ReplyDeleteOK, Tramaine
ReplyDelete