“The Miseducation of Hip-Hop—Discrimination in Education”

The gap of understanding a generation’s musical preference will never cease.  To take a look back in time of two examples, one is the Rock-n-Roll era of Elvis Presley; Showing off his swinging hips on television and having the female audience members screaming out of control was offensive for the parents of the children who grew up in the 1960. Second is the disco era; the unforgettable movie, “Saturday Night Fever”, where it was common for people to dance under lights all night long at clubs, wear flashy clothing and platform shoes was seen as an out of control and sexually provocative for the parents of the 1970’s generation. This brings us to today and the hip-hop revolution; in which the author, Jamilah Evelyn’s writing of “The Miseducation of Hip-Hop Discrimination in Education” explains the struggles of this generations acceptance in society.

Evelyn shows a 22 year old University of Delaware student, Jason Hinmon,  who transferred from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, two culturally different societies, and how Hinmon outward appearance had the, mostly white, faculty of the University discriminating against him because he  was “Dark-hued, dreadlock, and, well, young” (p. 559). Because he appeared to them like a hip-hop gangster, these faculty members associated him with lack of educational desire.  

This experience that Hinmon went through is not uncommon for anyone facing a new environment, stereo-typed. When a person dresses in anyway, that is an outward self-expression that is a form of freedom, which is an inhalable right. Nobody should assume that because a person looks a certain way that they have less of an education, or might behave in a socially unacceptable manner. Many people, for of lack of understanding the full scope of a subject, are quick to label, because we live in a fast paced society that needs quick answers. In corporate America, status quo is the normal, because the employee is there to represent the best interest of the company and not with a personal agenda so dressing and having a conservative, focused point of view works best. These kids of the hip-hop generation, if listened to, are unbelievably in tune with global events, corporate dealings, and emotional circumstance and are not afraid to express this in their music or their attire. Hip-hop songs, like rock-n-roll, country, or jazz, are a form of expression through musical instruments, life experiences, and media promotion. If one should choose to listen then understand; if one should refuse to listen then be understanding, it’s a choice we all acquire and carry with us wherever we go.

Reference:

Rosendale, L. (2008) Pop Perspectives, Readings to Critique Contemporary Culture. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill.