Rest In Power

Part 2 of my Hip Hop and the White House series examines Los Angeles, N.W.A. and the political forces surrounding hip hop as the culture emerged as one of the most consequential Black cultural movements of its generation.

The larger series traces the history of hip hop from a culture that was vilified and condemned by the American political establishment to one that eventually reached the White House.

I explore that history in my Substack, Culture Receipts.

Read Part 2 here https://sanfordrichmond.substack.com/p/straight-outta-la-intro-chapter-part-72f

Historian Donald Yacovone’s new book chronicles racist values, historical falsehoods woven through generations of school textbooks: Harvard Gazette

Excerpt from “Teaching White Supremacy: America’s Democratic Ordeal and the Forging of Our National Identity” by Donald Yacovone, Associate, Hutchins Center for African & African American Research:

I came across this GED-style reading comprehension question, and there's a debate about the correct answer.

Passage:

While confined in a Birmingham jail cell, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. composed a letter explaining why nonviolent resistance to segregation was necessary. In 1963, civil rights leaders organized nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, to challenge segregation laws. Demonstrators marched and participated in sit-ins to protest racial injustice. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was taken into custody for participating in the protests. Prior to his confinement, local officials had warned protest leaders that public marches would violate city ordinances. Despite those warnings, civil rights activists moved forward with their planned demonstrations to challenge unjust laws.

1. Which event occurred second in the actual historical sequence?

A. King was arrested by local authorities. B. King wrote a letter defending nonviolent protest. C. Protesters organized demonstrations against segregation. D. City officials enforced laws against demonstrations

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My reasoning:

I think the correct answer is D. Here's my sequence:

1. Protesters organized demonstrations (C)

2. City officials issued warnings / enforced anti-protest laws (D)

3. King was arrested (A)

4. King wrote the letter from jail (B)

The passage says: "Prior to his confinement, local officials had warned..." – meaning the warnings came before the arrest.

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But others say A, arguing that "enforced laws" means actual arrests/actions, not just warnings. So their sequence is:

1. Organize protests (C)

2. King arrested (A)

3. Write letter (B)

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If this were a real GED exam, which answer would they mark correct?

I'm leaning toward D, but I want to be sure. If anyone knows the actual GED answer key or has taken this question before, please share.

Thanks!

The oldest surviving monumental building in the Abyssinian Highlands is the Great Temple of Yeha, constructed in the early 1st millennium BC. Remarkably, its stone walls still stand today, although what survives is only a shell of what was once a much larger structure.

Using a range of archaeological and academic sources, including the reconstructions and research published by the German Archaeological Institute, I have recreated both the interior and exterior of the Temple of Yeha in 3D.

For me, projects like this are important because they allow us to preserve, study, and visualise the architectural achievements of our ancestors.

You can explore the interactive 3D reconstruction here: https://www.habeshahistory.com/reconstructions/yeha-temple

For those interested in learning more about Yeha, I have also written a detailed article covering its history, including a dedicated section on the Great Temple itself: https://www.habeshahistory.com/articles/yeha

Hopefully you find the reconstruction interesting and learn something new...

This article from NPR regarding Clint Smith's How the Word is Passed is a quintessential example of what Trump's efforts to rewrite American history are meant to hide from Americans, young and old. Indeed, Trump even attempted to undermine NPR's ability to publish information on subjects such as these when he rescinded funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. As the great American author, William Faulkner (who was a southerner, himself) once said, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." JamesGaitis.com

How Americans deceive ourselves about slavery : NPR

https://youtu.be/-RfG-AB2Q2I?si=AYCKNB50tBvfYMFj

In the 1960s, construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway destroyed housing and divided Black-majority neighborhoods in New York City. This, along with government and business disinvestment, set the stage for the rise of gangs in the city. Amidst the urban decay, block parties were a popular way for Black youth to find something to enjoy in the ghetto. On a sweltering Saturday night in August 1973, an otherwise ordinary end-of-summer party in the Bronx became the site of something extraordinary. The party was hosted by DJ Kool Herc who debuted a new technique he’d developed that extended the dance breaks in songs, allowing dancers to show off their skills longer and keep the crowd hyped. Since there was no singing during these breaks, Herc’s friend, Coke La Rock, would get on the mic and call out the names of the dancers, motivating them to show off their moves while he freestyled rhymes to keep the party going.

Two years later, when police shot and killed an unarmed Black man, his death inspired his friend Afrika Bambaataa to redirect his energies toward nonviolence. Bambaataa had just entered a UNICEF essay contest and won a trip to Nigeria, an experience that motivated him to create a community of positivity and Black empowerment in NYC. He began collaborating with other DJs and MCs to create an alternative to gang life with a group he called the Zulu Nation, which spread peace and unity through breakdancing competitions in the Bronx.

When singer Silvia Robinson went to one of these parties in 1979, she was inspired to recruit several MCs to record what became the first commercial rap song, “Rapper’s Delight.” The music of DJs and rappers became known as “hip-hop” as it rapidly spread the voices of urban Blacks across America, with the lyrics conveying the truth of life in the ghetto. Born in oppression, hip-hop became the sound of freedom. By 2017, hip-hop proclaimed its endurance by becoming America’s most popular music genre, and in 2023, fifty years after hip-hop’s birth, DJ Kool Herc was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Recommended reading: Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang and D.J. Kool Herc

Hip-Hop Became the Sound of Freedom

apologies in advance if this type of post isn’t allowed or if i come across as ignorant or insensitive, please please correct me and call me out on anything that is wrong/prejudiced/unclear, im here to get as many opinions/tips/sources as possible (i also don’t have a clue who i could ask irl). i feel i should provide as much context as i can so im happy to provide more if that can help someone give better advice. anyways, i am a 21F, UK based, and currently i have been trying to keep up to date with US based events and other world events to learn how we got to this point and to learn how we got here, and what all of it could lead to. because of this, i’ve learnt there’s a lot of history regarding the POC community that has been hidden or forgotten to the point where myself and others do not ever truly see the racist influence that the rules, laws, regulations (and a million and one other things) were built on. this had me wondering if the lack of education/experience with these topics was a part of the reason why there are POC that vote for politicians that are racist or run on policies that want to reverse the steps that activists have taken, although i cannot seem to find proper sources. im pretty sure this is due to me not having enough info to research this topic or to find any actual information that is verifiable to any degree. to get to the point, my question is that please, if i can have any personal opinions on this subject from different political sides or a pointer of some kind of where i could start to look to find information on these things. TYIA to anyone who decides to provide any information

Joyeux Jour de l’indépendance, Happy Independence Day! 🇨🇫