Re: [Fwd: Fwd: [BRC-ANN] Statement on New York Festival Attacks]

["Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't address this to the Audre Lorde Project, but with all due regret, I must agree with Katha's observations here. I say this , even though I have listened to hip hop/rap for years now with the hope that this latest development of Black youth culture would connect with previous progressive political trends with respect to women's rights and other issues. In other words, I am a bit biased to look for what is GOOD in hiphop, so if anyone was going to find something to contradict Katha on this point, I would be likely too;  but I find very little from a political standpoint, and agree with Katha.

 I  am sure there are some hiphoppers who are consciously progressive politically, but the main hip hop music is not hardly. Of course, the record corporations have had a lot of influence on this warping the sounds, but I spend a lot of time with young people, and cannot say that their politics is worth much, in general ( with due note that my experience is somewhat anecdotal and that this generalization is not an absolute one, and there are , of course significant exceptions) . It is not just mysogyny, but a fundamental attitude that buys into the $$$$$$$ culture, an extreme lack of social consciousness. I think we have to admit that this generation is "The children of Reagan".

Now there is some generation gap, so there may be some levels of "unity" between young women and men that I can't detect, but in many ways, that is a sort of wishful thinking on my part.

What exactly to do about it I don't know, because, ironically, of course, people like me are somewhat "oldies" to young people, and respect for "elders", ha ha ha. They ain't listening to me, especially if I don't have a lot of money.

Some of the  symbolism is funny. Baldheads are stylish. So, the 60's are stood on their head.  Instead of older people saying "get a haircut", the young people ( women too !) enforce it on themselves, can't wait to get their next haircut real short or bald. The turning into its opposite is so complete, one wonders whether Mussolini and the Marines have designed the whole thing.

Nixon has got to be partying in his grave.

CB

>>> Katha Pollitt <kpollitt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 06/20/00 10:28AM >>>
Dear Audre Lorde Project,

  I don't know much about hip hop culture, but "the struggle for women's
rights and feminist justice" isn't what comes to mind when I think of
it. More the opposite, actually--glorification of macho posturing,
brutality against women and misogynous  attitudes (women as
golddiggers,"hos" and "bitches"), with a few breast-implanted
dressed-to-the-nines divas  licensed to be "sassy" and the occasional
men-are-jerks song like TLC's "Dont Want No Scrub."  I would be
interested to know exactly what the statement below is referring to when
it claims that hiphop plays a "daily and historic" role in feminist
struggle.

Thanks for enlightenment,
Katha Pollitt

> >STATEMENT ON CENTRAL PARK & 116th St. FESTIVAL ATTACKS
> >
> >
> >We also reject current trends of public discourse that have
> >sought to single out youth and hip hop culture as somehow
> >inherently violent. Commentators and public figures who
> >attempt to scapegoat and criminalize youth and hip hop
> >culture as the root causes of violence against women ignore
> >the daily and historic role that young people and hip hop
> >culture have played in struggles for justice, including the
> >ongoing struggle for women's rights and feminist justice.
> >
> >Finally, as a Center committed to justice and liberation for
> >all of our peoples, we call on our communities to struggle
> >with the contradictions inherent in some of the recent
> >calls for increased policing, police presence, and enhanced
> >criminal penalties as a solution. While these incidents are
> >indeed examples of hate crimes, incarcerating more people
> >for longer periods of time in a racist, homophobic, trans-
> >
> >The Audre Lorde Project:
> >Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit & Transgender
> >People of Color Communities
> >85 So. Oxford St.
> >Brooklyn, NY 11217
> >Tel: 718-596-0342
> >Fax: 718-596-1328
> >Email: alpinfo@xxxxxxx
> >
> >-30-
> >
> >