“They schools don’t educate/ All they teach the people is lies” – “They Schools”, Dead Prez
It was a typical day in Mrs. Lefkowitz’s world history class.
And, as usual, no one was paying attention. Of course, she didn’t mind
as long as she was collecting a paycheck. So while the gangstas were
fightin’ in the back of the classroom, and the kids on the front row
were snoring like barn animals, she just kept on repeating the same
lesson about the wonders of Greek civilization that she had been
teaching for 20 years. That was until Tyrone Johnson, who had been
listening to some ol school BDP on his iPhone, yelled out “in a school
that’s ebony/ African history should be pumped up steadily!“ Although
his classmates gave him a standing ovation, the otherwise mild-mannered
Mrs. Leftkowitz became enraged, called for security, and had Tyrone
thrown in jail for inciting a riot…
Since the creation of this country’s public educational system, the
achievements of Europeans have been emphasized while the contributions
of African people to civilization have either been downplayed or not
mentioned at all. But for a brief period, Hip-Hop shook up the academic
world and flipped the script with something that KRS-One coined
“edutainment.”
Although the music of the conscious era of Hip-Hop (1988-92) was
portrayed in the media as something that was gonna make young Black kids
wage an armed insurrection against the government, the real threat of
the music was that it made Black youth read and question authority, thus
having the potential to disrupt the status quo.
Many of us from that era can attest to the fact that it wasn’t third
period history class that taught us about Black culture, but the music
of Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, and Poor Righteous Teachers.
The conscious movement was so powerful during that time, that it even
spread into the universities and forced reluctant administrators to open
the door for many African-centered scholars to drop some science on the
students.
So the question today is, can edutainment still move the crowd?
While some may argue that the kids of today will not accept
historical information in music, that is far from the truth.If rappers
can name drop old school wrestlers like Ric Flair and ’70s sitcom
characters like “Phil Drummond and ‘em” from “Different Strokes”, then
they should be able to drop historical facts in their lyrics as well.
Every school year, there are meetings being held in cities across the
country about “the plight of African American students” and how to
prevent Black students from dropping out of school. Most of the time,
these meetings end with more questions than answers. Rarely, is the idea
of a more African-centered curriculum given serious consideration nor
is the idea of using Hip Hop to relay information.
Like most institutions in America, the educational system has been
resistant to change. Teaching children that Christopher Columbus
discovered America works for them.
But we must make it clear that it doesn’t work for us.
Also, while many instructors may criticize gangsta rap, they feel
more comfortable with their students listening to Chief Keef instead of
Immortal Technique. And reading street novels like Diary of a Broke Pimp instead of books that might put them on the hot seat such as Lies My Teacher Told Me by Dr. James Loewen or They Came Before Columbus by Dr. Ivan Van Sertima.Source allhiphop.com
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