I have compiled a list of Tupac’s most socially conscious and influential songs. I think this is important for me to include in a blog post so that I can reference it while continuing research for my capstone project. Tupac has recorded and released hundreds of songs so I am constantly finding new songs as … Continue reading Tupac’s Important Songs
Ben Caldwell probably doesn’t like Hamilton
So this week I have been thinking a lot about the play we read. I have a theatre background so I love reading the scripts and plays and trying to find clips of performances online. This week, I started doing some research on Prayer Meeting and stumbled on an interview with Ben Caldwell where he … Continue reading Ben Caldwell probably doesn’t like Hamilton
Westwind
Hello everyone, I hope your research projects and presentations are all coming along nicely. I have deeply enjoyed these blogs because I like to dig into Nina Simone’s music a lot, which I think has been super valuable to forming an argument for her work. Finding the less popular songs of hers that are equally … Continue reading Westwind
Minstrelsy in the BAM
I want to look back at two of the plays we read for class and discuss the use of minstrelsy in them and how they achieve anti-racist messages. The first play I want to analyze is Amiri Baraka's Dutchman. The main conflict arises from Lula's anger at Clay for his lack of "blackness." Clay goes … Continue reading Minstrelsy in the BAM
Toni-Cade Bambara
Hi all! For this post I wanted to talk more about Bambara’s The Organizer’s Wife and other stories she wrote. Toni Cade Bambara is an African-American author, film-maker, activist, and college professor. In the 1970’s she was a social activist in both the black liberation and women’s movements who worked to raise black American consciousness … Continue reading Toni-Cade Bambara
Black Barbie
Dear Reader, I hope you are having a wonderful day. Can I tell you a secret? Promise not to judge me too harshly? I love dolls. I think it’s because I was not allowed to have them growing up. My mom didn’t want me to have one because it was a girl’s toy. I was … Continue reading Black Barbie
“I’m a reflection of my community.” -Tupac Shakur
Since my posts from now on will be mostly focused on Tupac Shakur and his work, I think it is only appropriate to write a short biography on him. Tupac was a poet, rapper, and actor. He wrote about his own life experiences and used his platform to confront contemporary social issues. Known by the … Continue reading “I’m a reflection of my community.” -Tupac Shakur
“Changes”
I decided to focus my capstone project on Tupac Shakur and how his work created a social consciousness that continues to be influential to this day. For this blog post, I want to discuss his song “Changes,” and specifically the songs references to poverty as well as the effects it has for many black people … Continue reading “Changes”
Gary, Indiana: Has it Lived Up To Its Reputation?
Gary, Indiana is the most progressive and racially tolerant city I’ve seen during the Civil Rights Era and beyond so far which isn’t something I take lightly. I know that having an African American mayor during this crucial period in history played a large part in it, but so did the mentality of the people … Continue reading Gary, Indiana: Has it Lived Up To Its Reputation?
Hi, Mom! (1970)
As Ashley Clark points out in "Be Black, Baby! An Overview of Black Power on Film," most Black Power era movies that broached the subject in a realistic way were documentaries. One of the few exceptions, however, is Brian De Palma's Hi, Mom!. It is a loose sequel to Greetings, with both movies following the … Continue reading Hi, Mom! (1970)
L460: The Senior Capstone Blog at IUS 