SUS 691: Hip Hop Feminism and Public Health Spring 2021 Professor Melissa Harris-Perry Maya Angelou Presidential Chair Department of Politics and International Affairs
Photo Credit : Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
For nearly 50 years, hip-hop has been the most pronounced cultural identifier for young Americans. This graduate reading seminar seeks to address, analyze, explore and contest hip-hop music and culture through a close examination of public health and Black feminism. This course is an analytic space for debate and discussion about the impact of hip-hop culture on the sexual, gendered, economic, and political understandings of African Americans and examination of how those understandings are connected to a range of public health outcomes. This is an independent study seminar (2.5 credits) focused on close reading, engaged conversation between professor and students, and a significant independent research component. The course will be supplemented with lectures and speakers associated with two undergraduate courses this semester: (1) POL 210F: Black Lives Matter and (2) POL 210G: Black Women in US Media and Politics. 1
*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will develop and deepen knowledge of the academic literature and scholarship surrounding hip hop music and culture. Students will develop and deepen knowledge of the academic literature and scholarship of Black Feminism. Students will engage critically with the mainstream assumptions and assertions that have shaped “moral panics” related to hip hop culture and to Black women’s economic and reproductive labor. Students will gain analytic and research skills appropriate to graduate level work. Students will produce an academic research paper including actionable strategic plans for addressing public health concerns. Students will gain competency with professional and scholarly analysis, speaking, and writing.
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT YOUR PROFESSOR CLASS MEETINGS SCHEDULE ASSESSMENTS MODULES MODULE 1 Introduction MODULE 2 Hip Hop Feminism 2.1 Foundations 2.2 Growth FIRST ESSAY DUE , Friday, Feb 12 MODULE 3 Hip Hop and Moral Panics 3.1 Hip Hop Wars 3.2 Foundations and Continuation 3.3 Black Politics Remixed SECOND ESSAY DUE, Friday March 5 MODULE 4 Hip Hop and Pedagogy THIRD ESSAY DUE, Friday, March 12 MODULE 5 Black Women, Hip Hop and Public Health FOURTH ESSAY DUE, Friday, April 2 MODULE 6 Student Choice FINAL PROJECT DUE, Friday, May 7 NOTE: As an independent study, graduate students have an opportunity to co-create the direction of the course. In Module 6, students can suggest further examination of an earlier theme or introduce a new theme for 1-2 weeks of new material. Final Project Public Lectures from POL210-F and POL210-G
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
ABOUT YOUR PROFESSOR MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY Maya Angelou Presidential Chair Department of Politics and International Affairs Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Founder and President, Anna Julia Cooper Center She, Her, Hers MelissaHarrisPerry.com
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CLASS MEETINGS WEEKLY on THURSDAYS at 1:00 PM via ZOOM All elements of this class will be entirely online. This course will use a combination of asynchronous readings, videos. assignments, and a weekly ZOOM discussion section. Because this is an independent study, class times can be flexible, but one hour per week meeting is required. Zoom meetings can be recorded (with consent)if useful for student learning.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism is a serious violation of ethical conduct and academic integrity. Plagiarism need not be intentional. All cases of plagiarism – the theft of words, ideas, sources, and conclusions whether from written, audio, oral, or digital materials –is unacceptable. At the same time, learning and completing assignments online can make it difficult to discern precisely how to ensure your use of sources, information, images, and ideas is appropriate. Please see the Canvas site for a primer about Academic Integrity and proper citation practices online. And if you are stuck or confused, ask! COVID-19 Conduct Due to COVID-19 our campus is operating with new Code of Conduct rules and a Student Compact for COVID-19 prevention. Please be aware of these and protect yourself and others. 4
*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
Expectations for Classroom Conduct Learning and teaching virtually during a global pandemic is difficult. We will proceed with empathy for one another, kindness towards ourselves, and enthusiasm for our collective journey. We will each do our very best to be present and prepared in our synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. We acknowledge that racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ableism, and other forms of interpersonal and institutionalized forms of inequality exist in society. This does not mean we all agree on the causes, consequences, or solutions for these forms of inequality. It does mean we agree to do our best to better understand them, refrain from repeating misinformation, and refrain from personal attack. No student is expected to have all the answers. Mistakes and questions are welcomed in the spirit of cooperative learning. We will work to create an atmosphere where: We keep an open mind and listen; Everyone is valued and respected; Everyone can work and learn; Everyone engages in the thoughtful presentation of ideas, shares the floor, and can critically assess each other’s ideas; No individual is ridiculed or demeaned for sharing personal experiences and ideas; Personal experiences shared in the context of the classroom remain confidential unless otherwise agreed; No individual is expected to be a representative spokesperson for a given group of people, given there is intra-group diversity of skills, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.
Disability and Accommodations Students with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Professor Harris-Perry no later than September 3, 2020, to ensure appropriate accommodations are available. Be certain to also connect with the Office of Disability Services at Wake Forest. Tutoring and Writing Assistance Wake Forest offers trained peer tutors and effective writing and assignment assistance through The Writing Center @ Wake Forest University. This is a great resource if you need assistance with course assignments.
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
REQUIRED BOOKS AND ARTICLES You will need to have the following texts. You are welcome to have these texts in hard copy or in a digital/ kindle/ebook form. Morgan, Joan. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks it Down. New York: Touchstone, 1999. Rose, Tricia. The Hip-Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Rap - and Why it Matters. New York: Basic Books, 2008. Cohen, Cathy J. Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. ALSO SUGGESTED for purchase: The Crunk Feminist Collection, edited by Brittney C. Cooper, et al., The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2016
Other assigned readings and videos are available digitally through open source links, WFU links, or shared Google Folder ASSESSMENTS
BRIEF REFLECTIONS: 100 POINTS FOUR (4) reflections./ Twenty-Five (25) points each Throughout the semester students will write FOUR (4) brief reflections. Approximately 1000-1500 words. Each reflection will engage the texts of the assigned module, describe the primary takeaways from these readings, and offer reflections about personal growth or change resulting from these readings. RESEARCH PAPER: 90 POINTS
Students will produce one long paper (15-20 pages) in this class. Grades for the paper will be determined based on four steps. Due Dates to be mutually determined. Mid February: Research proposal Mid March: Paper outline and Annotated Bibliography Late April: Asynchronous presentation Early May: Final paper SPEAKER SERIES: 10 POINTS Students will attend at least 5 speakers in the public speaker series associated with POL210-G and POL 210-F TOTAL POSSIBLE COURSE POINTS: 200
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
COURSE MODULES MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION MODULE DATES: THURSDAY, January 28 DURING MEETING WE WILL Discuss course goals Discuss final research paper Set due dates Read/ Watch Before Synchronous Session Review the syllabus so we can discuss overall shape/ structure of course and make changes collaboratively.
Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
Photo Credit: Janette Beckman . Take time to read this piece, Experience the Golden Age of hip hop through the lens of Janette Beckman and David Corio
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
MODULE 2: Hip Hop Feminism
2.1 : Hip Hop Feminism FOUNDATIONS DATE: THURSDAY, February 4
READ Morgan, Joan. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks it Down. New York: Touchstone, 1999. REVIEW: When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost Syllabus READ: Gwendolyn D. Pough. "What It Do, Shorty?: Women, Hip-Hop, and a Feminist Agenda." Black Women, Gender Families 1, no. 2 (2007): 78-99. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/blacwomegendfami.1.2.0078. Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
Keynote with Joan Morgan and Dr. Brittney Cooper at the Hip Hop Literacies Conference 2014 Video Credit: AlexEverettmedia/YouTube
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
2.2 : Hip Hop Feminism GROWTH DATE: THURSDAY, February 11 READ Hip Hop Generation Feminism: A Manifesto Part I: Gender and @#$% the Patriarchy Part V: Politics and Policy: The Personal is Political Part VI: Hip Hop Generation FEminism Turned All the Way Up Part XI: Self Care: Thus Sayeth the Lorde All from: The Crunk Feminist Collection, edited by Brittney C. Cooper, et al., The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2016 REVIEW: For Harriet WATCH: Joan Morgan and Brittney Cooper in Conversation (2014) (Approx 1 hour) Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
REFLECTION ESSAY 1: Submit first reflection essay. POSSIBLE TOPIC: What are the core tenets of Hip-Hop feminism and how are they retained or challenged in the context of generational change? DUE: Friday February 12
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
3.1 Hip-Hop Wars
MODULE 3: HIP HOP AND MORAL PANICS
DATE: THURSDAY, February 18 Read/ Watch Before Synchronous Session LISTEN: Rose, Tricia. The Hip-Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Rap - and Why it Matters. New York: Basic Books, 2008. Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
3.2 Hip Hop Moral Panic Foundations and Reverberations DATE: THURSDAY, February 25 Read/ Watch Before Synchronous Session LISTEN: NPR 2006: Study links Rap Music to Alcohol, Violence READ: The Great Rap Censorship Scare of 1990: The Geto Boys rattled America’s cultural gatekeepers, making N.W.A and 2 Live Crew look like a society luncheon Excerpted from Rolf Potts The Geto Boys READ: Self Destruction: A Case Study of Violence and Hip Hop READ: Treating Rhymes as Crimes *READ McCormack, Michael. Black Churches, Moral Panic, and the Empowerment of Black Youth in the Era of Hip-Hop In Churches, Blackness, and Contested Multiculturalism (pp.251-264). 2014. *READ: Hernández D, Weinstein H, Muñoz-Laboy M. Youth Perspectives on the Intersections of Violence, Gender, and Hip-Hop. Youth & Society. 2012;44(4):587-608. *READ: Evaluating Agency and Responsibility in Gendered Violence: African American Youth Talk About Violence and Hip Hop Catherine R. Squires & Laura P. Kohn-Wood & Tabbye Chavous & Prudence L. Carter Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
3.3 Black Youth Politics and Moral Panic DATE: THURSDAY, March 4 READ: Cohen, Cathy J. Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. LISTEN: NPR Code Switch , The Long HIstory of Dangerous Street Fashion Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
Submit Reflection Essay 2 Possible Topic: How have the moral panics in response to Hip Hop affected Black political action and organizing in the 21st century? Due Friday, March 5 Photo Credit: Robert Mecea/AP
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
MODULE 4: HIP HOP PEDAGOGY
4.1 : Hip Hop Pedagogy DATE: THURSDAY, March 11 REVIEW: Study Guide for Hear Our Truths REVIEW: SOLHOT REVIEW: Aint I a Woman Learning Resources REVIEW: Black Feminist Pedgagogies WATCH: Ellen Surprises Incredible Teacher Mr. Bonner READ: R ethinking Pedagogy In Urban Spaces: Implementing Hip-hop Pedagogy In The Urban Science Classroom Edmund S. Adjapong. Christopher Emdin. Journal of Urban Learning Teaching and Research, 2015 Vol.11, pp. 66-77 *READ Hip Hop Pedagogy as Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy Melanie L. Buffington * and Jolie Day *READ Garner, P. R., Hill, D. C., Robinson, J. L., & Callier, D. M. (2019). Uncovering black girlhood(s): Black girl pleasures as anti-respectability methodology. American Quarterly, 71(1), 191-197. doi:http://dx.doi.org.go.libproxy.wakehealth.edu/10.1353/aq.2019.0012 Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
Submit Reflection Essay 3 POSSIBLE TOPIC: Assess the strengths and deficits of hip hop pedagogy for adult learning. Due Friday, March 12
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
4.2 COLLABORATIVE WORK ON FINAL PROJECT OUTLINE AND SOURCES DATE: THURSDAY, March 18 No new materias. We will discuss the final project outline during our session.
Cover Art: Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
MODULE 5 : Black Women, Hip Hop and Public Health
5.1 : Black Women, Racism, Health Outcomes DATE: THURSDAY, March 25 READ Prather C, Fuller TR, Jeffries WL 4th, et al. Racism, African American Women, and Their Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Review of Historical and Contemporary Evidence and Implications for Health Equity. Health Equity. 2018;2(1):249-259. Published 2018 Sep 24. doi:10.1089/heq.2017.0045 READ The art of medicine: Reckoning with histories of medical racism and violence in the USA Ayah NuriddinGraham MooneyAlexandre I R White. October 2020. READ Bailey ZD, Krieger N, Agénor M, Graves J, Linos N, Bassett MT. Structural racism and health inequities in the USA: evidence and interventions. Lancet. 2017 Apr 8;389(10077):1453-1463. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30569-X. PMID: 28402827. REVIEW: Black Women in Public Health REVIEW: Black Women Health Imperative REVIEW: Black Mamas Alliance Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
5.2 : Hip Hop Public Health DATE: THURSDAY, April 1 REVIEW: HIP HOP PUBLIC HEALTH Give Special attention to Covid module Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
Submit Reflection Essay 4 Possible Topic What are the most promising intersections of a hip hop pedagogy approach to public health for Black women? Due Friday, April 2 14
*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021
5.3: Work Session DATE: THURSDAY, April 8 No new materials We will work on the final project Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
MODULE 6: STUDENT CHOICE DATE: THURSDAY, April 12 and April 19 READ: What topics/ issues do you want to engage in more depth?
Synchronous Sessions Zoom Link
APRIL 21- MAY 5 Independent study, research, drafts with meetings as needed FINAL PAPER DUE May 8
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*Created by Melissa Harris-Perry @harrismv@wfu.edu, January 2021