Research Paper Roberts 1

Minette Roberts

Sarah Lushia

WR 122_H

May 25, y

BLACK CULTURE HIP HOP LINGUISTICS

As a future educator, not long ago I considered the most pressing issue in America’s

current educational framework to be the importance of creative exploration in the class curricu-

lum.

Mary Louise Pratt is a Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU. In her work,

Pratt has used her knowledge of literature, linguistics and culture to discuss a concept she calls

the “contact zones”. Pratt has defined this as a “term to refer to social spaces where cul-

tures meet, clash, and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymetrical

relations of power, such as colonialism, slavery, or the aftermaths as they are lived out

in many parts of the world today” (Pratt 34).

The importance of defining these areas and engaging in them is expressed here

by Pratt where she writes, “Models involving games and moves are often used to de-

scribe interactions. Despite whatever conflicts or systematic social differences might be

in play, it is assumed that all participants are engaged in the same game and that the

game is the same for all players. Often it is. But of course it often is not, as, for example,

when speakers are from different classes or cultures, or one part is exercising authority

and another is submitting to it or questioning it” (Pratt, 38).

When discussing Black American history, the contact zone articulates the social

stratification of language and linguistics, which are defined by culture. In this section of

Pratt’s writing, “When linguistic (or literate) interaction is described in terms of orderli-

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ness, games, moves, or scripts, usually only legitimate moves are actually named as

part of the system, where legitimacy is defined from the point of view of the party in au-

thority-regardless of what other parties might see them as doing” (Pratt, 38). Here, Pratt

addresses the systematic habits of a power dominant society which has the privilege to

disregard external linguistics not utilized by power players, therefore silencing the

voices of the non-dominant groups. And when linguistic habits and language are

shaped by culture, this has the potential to be come a racially charged debate.

“Our job in the American course remains to figure out how to make the cross-

roads the best site for learning that it can be. We are looking for the pedagogical arts of

the contact zone. These will include, we are sure, exercises in storytelling and in identi-

fying with the ideas, interests, histories, and attitudes of others” (Pratt 40). “The redemp-

tion of the oral; ways for people to engage with suppressed aspects of history (including

their own histories), ways to move into and out of rhetorics of authenticity; ground rules

for communication across lines of difference and hierarchy that…maintain mutual re-

spect” (Pratt 40).

Science Genius is a significant event in regards to this contact zone, because it

bridges the accessibility of a traditionally Eurocentric western education to now include

Black American youth. This is achieved through the use of Black linguistic rhetorical ele-

ments in the classroom curriculum, formally framed by Standard English.

“toasts, boasts” (24).

“Passed on through generations from elders— decedents of African griots who

held the wisdom of nations on their tongues—to youngsters, the various genres of

African American folklore serve both to entertain and educate” (Rickford & Rickford 25).

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Rickford & Rickford later go on to state, “It is these conventional and systematic ways of

using language that we refer to as rules” (Rickford & Rickford 92).

“Through exposure and experimentation, children in every speech community

around the world learn the conventional and systematic ways of pronouncing, modify-

ing, and combining worlds that are characteristics of their community’s language vari-

ety” (Rickford & Rickford 92).

“Characterizations of the former as careless or lazy, and of the latter as careful

or refined, are subjective social and political evaluations that reflect prejudices and pre-

conceptions about the people who usually speak each variety” (Rickford & Rickford 92).

“The WU is the word, the TANG is the tongue, or the sword. So basically, it’s

about being lyrically sharp” (tedxtalk).

I’m the creator of the alphabets, now let’s communicate

When I translate, the situation's straight

No dictionary's necessary to use

Big words do nothing but confuse and lose

-Rakim

GZA’s metaphor for black american rhetoric… he goes on to say “half short, twice

strong” (novasciencenow).

“As a teenager, it was not my school but it was Wutang who taught me the idea of

knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It is because of this idea that I went into

physics. I am now a high school science teacher with passion for sharing my love of sci-

ence and improving science literacy” (novasciencenow).

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Hip-Hop interwoven into Science Lesson plans invites more “equal access to the rules

of the game, actions therefore legitimized” (Lecture, Luscia).

vs

Define Assimilation: “process which subordinated group takes on the dominant group

characteristics” (Schaefer) in order to gain acceptance within the dominant culture.

Dr. Emdin is one of the founders of Science Genius, the program I am focusing on in the co

text of Black American history. His research works at developing educators, policy makers, and

researchers on the relevancy of hip-hop culture in urban youth communities while of-

fering tools to holistically implement this pedagogy in science education settings.

Emdin is the Assistant Professor of Science Education at Columbia University and is

Director of Secondary School Initiatives in the Urban Science Education Center. He

uses his background to specialize in teacher-training methods which engage urban

youth of color in the field of Science, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics

(S.T.E.M) (“Academics”). In his work, Emdin is an academic activist who believes

that Black youth are underrepresented in science literacy and advocates for Black

youth cultural inclusion through the use of hip-hop infused curriculums.

Emdin solidifies both the importance of Black culture in schools, as defined by the students. Dr.

Emdin explains the urgency for educational policy and curriculums to address these

disparities, as explained here:

The thing about schooling, as we all know, it’s often times that it doesn’t

foster the creative mind. It’s the Einstein story all over again. That

model continues today a million times over; the most brilliant scien-

tists of our time darn near flunking out. This is a guy, brilliant, intelligent-

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he [GZA] didn’t get an opportunity to complete school. Why? That’s

not a function of his intelligence, it’s the function of the inability of our school

system to fost- ter it (TEDxTeen).

He is a continual contributor to the evolution of the significant event of introducing Science Ge-

nius in urban class curriculums which have a predominately Black youth demographic.

Emdin, as mentioned earlier is addressing fellow educators, policy makers, and re-

searchers. Although, more specifically, Emdin’s work and research effectively ex-

tends the conversation and theories to White American educators. This decision to ad-

dress White America helps in defining the contact zone specific to his intentions.

In a educational framework with a Eurocentric basis, addressing White American educa-

tors, policy makers, etc. is pivotal in enlightening those who often are in dominant, de-

tached decision making positions within their classroom and educational communities.

For example, “It [Science Genius] considers cultural relevance, but takes the approach

a bit further by requiring the teachers' cultural immersion and constant ingestion of the

cultural outputs of the students' culture" (Emdin, 99). Here, Emdin helps the reader

navigate the process of, as the chapter title suggests, “Reframing Urban Science Edu-

cation”(99).

Emdin uses this historical reference to articulate the perspective of Black American tradi-

tion, which through signifyin’, exaggerated language, image-making and indirection

describes the cultural traditional differences in White and Black church sermons.

“White folks go to chu’ ch. An’ he never crack a smile; An nigger to chu ‘ch and you

hear im’ laugh a mile” (13). Here, Emdin is able to display the significance of a multi-

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modal, interactive and engaging learning/teaching framework for Black American

youth via use of these Black American Rhetoric devices. Speaking to the larger issues,

these song lyrics are translated by Emdin to describe to the reader the deeper structures

rooted in African-American tradition and experience, relevant to today’s Black urban

youth. This example used in Emdin’s writing results in the opportunity to expose

White teachers in power positions to consider the cultural significance of using hip-

hop modalities with marginalized, Black urban students. Through

Black American Rhetorical devises, this is achieved through dis-

cussing the significance of interactive, equalized experiences which

engage and empower the individual and community through tradi-

tional Black cultural experiences.

LaQuita N. Gresham’s thesis explores the benefits of using Ebonics and

African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) as a tool to enhance

Black student’s proficiency in Standard English. Her research dis-

cusses the dialectal prejudism evident in today’s Western standard

classroom curriculum. LaQuita N. Gresham. A graduate of The Uni-

versity of Southern Mississippi, LaQuita published her Honors College

theses in May 2014 titled, “Don’t You Be Telling Me How Tah Talk:

Education, Ebonics, and Code-switching”. The evidence and data in

her research warrants the claim that a hip-hop pedagogy used in Sci-

ence Genius shares these successful elements of Ebonics enhanced

curriculums. These elements present in both Science Genius and

LaQuita’s thesis are utilized to increase Black student engagement

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and achievement through linguistic inclusion and thus, academic

empowerment and equality. In terms of the contact zone,

LaQuita is advocating and exploring academic justice in the Black

community. LaQuita’s thesis addresses White educators, scholars

and legislators who have previously taught Black youth via tradi-

tional Western centric English standards. Her research also extends

out to teachers of color who have struggled to challenge the current

societal stigmatization of AAVE, Ebonics and code-switching, rele-

vant to their personal and professional experiences. This contact

zone discussed by LaQuita is highlighted in this passage of her the-

sis, ”Code-switching is a pedagogical tool that can be used to en-

courage cultural pride while teaching students to master Standard

American English. This process could encourage Black children in a

way that does not stigmatize their speech while allowing them to

gain the necessary tools to succeed in the professional realm and so-

ciety—a predominately White society" (42). This passage speaks to

unenlightened White society and instructors, while simultaneously

resonating with Black educators.

Speaking in a traditionally academic tone, LaQuita reserves slices of

Black America Rhetoric for examples used from external sources. I

believe the author opts for this approach in her attempt to straddle

the parameters of this contact zone; LaQuita utilizes Standard Eng-

lish academic writing to reach out to White academia, while incorpo-

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rating Black American Rhetorics into her thesis as a tool to legitimize

this stigmatized way of language and speech with it’s roots in the

Black community. With the use of Black American Rhetorical devices

such as Call and Response, Indirection, Braggadocio, Signifyin and

Image-Making displayed in this quote, LaQuita is able to cleverly use

Black American Rhetorics to create drama and urgency to her thesis’

call to action for the inclusion of Black American linguistics in the

classroom. And as stated by LaQuita, this “Black man…is attempting

to serve as an intermediary between the point of view of other Black

children and the culture of the classroom” (LaQuita 27). Yet, these

moments of BA rhetoric are strategic and specific.

This piece of work addresses the impact of a middle school program which

implemented a hip-hop pedagogy through an approach referred to

as Critical Multimodel Hip-Hop production (CMHHP), (342). The pro-

gram and research suggested the use of African American language

and literacy, via hip-hop, as a social justice approach effecting the

Black community. Authors Turner, Hayes, and Way are social justice

educators for equality at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst.

Their research contributes to the conversation regarding Science Ge-

nius because their work supports, “a critical pedagogical approach to

hip hop language and literacy practices and engages youth in think-

ing about their own language, communities, and the media in in-

creasingly critical/social justice-oriented ways (343).” A predomi-

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nantly White, middle-upper class demographic, Turner et al is largely

addressing White educators on the multicultural and empowerment

effects of a hip hop pedagogy in urban classroom settings, which Sci-

ence Genius is actively implementing for Black urban youth. And

considering the academic disparities prevalent between minority

and dominant America, enlightening White educators is critical in de-

veloping Black student empowerment. Therefore, in the authors’ at-

tempts to enlighten educators and readers on the social justice im-

portance of hip hop as African American language and literacy, Black

American Rhetoric is referenced although never used actively as the

authors’ voices. For example, “African American linguistic traditions,

like toasting and signifying, and African literacy traditions whereby

griots (or poets) maintained history of communities through memo-

rization and storytelling, are central to Afro-Diasporic roots of hip

hop and have been well established in the literature” (342). Here, the

authors are able to reference Black American Rhetorics, but without

direct use of the devices. Being that this piece of work is largely at-

tempting to enlighten dominant White American on Black cultural

linguistics and the academic empowerment effects of its uses, the

authors maintained a standard academic English approach to retain

generic academic value.