empowering black *men
rap/hip-hop
Between the World and Me, Non-Fiction (2015)
"The boys who stood out on Garrison and Liberty up on Park Heights loved this music because it told them, against all evidence and odds, that they were masters of their own lives, their own streets, and their own bodies" (Ta-Nehisi Coates 15).
Public Enemy (1988) - Show 'em What You Got, Rebel Without a Pause
Throughout the album there are numerous songs where the Black community is addressed directly as "brothers and sisters". In doing so, the Black male is drawing the boundary between the 'us' (i.e. white people) and 'them' (i.e. Black people) and thereby, on the one hand, plays with the notion of inclusion and exclusion and, on the other hand, determines the intended audience.
The Fire Next Time, Essays (1963)
"[...] but I am writing this letter to you, to try to tell you something about how to handle them, for most of them do not yet really know that you exist" (Baldwin 17).
Public Enemy (1988) - "Party for Your Right to Fight"
To those that disagree, it causes static
For the original Black Asiatic man
Cream of the earth and was here first
And some devils prevent this from being known
But you check out the books they own
Even Mason they know it
But refuse to show it, yo
But it's proven and fact
And it takes a nation of millions to hold us back
Public enemy clearly makes a strong statement here by referring to 'the original Black Asiatic man' which points to the teaching of the Nation of Islam which postulates the first humans were Black Asiatic men and how this reality was consciously obscured by the 'devils', i.e. white people. The importance of this particular song is also emphasized by the fact that the last sentence of the last song on the album 'it takes a nation of millions to hold us back' is at the same time the title of the album.
N.W.A. (1988) – Straight Outta Compton
Their album first and foremost gained a lot of popularity due to their controversial song-lyrics and direct confrontation of the police by addressing them with "Fuck tha Police", which then also developed into an international slogan to speak up against Police brutality all over the world.
​
Inserting the official music video since listening to an audio file only would not do justice to the actual message of the song which is emphasised through the visualisation in the musicvideo below:
The success story of the hip-hop crew N.W.A. was also depicted in a biopic with the same name as their album. You can watch the trailer down below:
N.W.A. (1988) – "Fuck Tha Police"
"Right about now, N.W.A. court is in full effect
Judge Dre presiding
In the case of N.W.A. vs. the Police Department
Prosecuting attorneys are: MC Ren, Ice Cube
And Eazy motherfuckin' E"
--> Mocking the judicial system
Further Reading
"Fuck the police comin' straight from the underground
A young n****a got it bad 'cause I'm brown
And not the other color so police think
They have the authority to kill a minority
Fuck that shit, 'cause I ain't the one
For a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun
To be beatin' on, and thrown in jail"
sports
Black male US American athletes such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson have inspired many people in the Black community with their uprising and success. In fact, they have established themselves as role models especially for younger Black US Americans by turning into symbols of pride and hope. The reason for this can be that such athletes actively reject the stereotypes that are imposed on them as well as their allegedly pre-determined fate as incompetent, financially unstable and uneducated. In doing so, they break out of the limitations that were set by the white American society and therefore function as representatives of Black power.
critical perspective
The Fire Next Time, Essays (1963)
"Well, the black man has functioned in the white man's world as a fixed star, as an immovable pillar: and as he moves out of his place, heaven and earth are shaken to their foundations" (Baldwin 20).
"Black men have been defined as a threat throughout American history while being accepted in roles that serve and entertain White people, where they can ostensibly be controlled and made to appear nonthreatening" (Ferber 12)
"Although African American men have been very successful in certain sports, they are rarely found in positions of power and control – as coaches or owners. Within the industry, they are largely under the control of White men" (Ferber 20)
arts - poetry
"We Real Cool" - by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Pool Players.
Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
This poem was written by writer Gwendolyn Brooks, who was the first African-American author who won the Pulitzer prize in 1950. In this poem she describes the stereotypical image of the "black male". More specifically, it is about a group of young Black teenagers from Chicago who are all school drop-outs and mostly waste their time drinking on the streets. The poem itself does not seem very empowering, however, it is the self-depiction and image these young boys have of themselves of being "empowered", relaxed, and "cool". Which in their sense is a state of mind defined by themselves rather than others (the White man). Their blurred vision of self-entitled empowerment eventually ends with their early death and shows that the notion of empowerment can only be prevalent if it benefits a person or community's situation or lifestyle. This stereotypical behaviour of the "cool" Black man, however, is also prevalent in most hip-hop songs and music videos, such as "Fuck tha Police" by N.W.A.
The material on this page was compiled, created, and arranged by Amna Anwar, Sena Konçak, and Artan Islamaj.
​
