[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 15437] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SCHOMBURG CENTER HOSTS A SUMMIT FOR HIP-HOP ACTIVISM ______ HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL of new york in the house of representatives Thursday, July 20, 2006 Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record an article from the Volume 6 Edition of Africana Heritage magazine which highlights an event hosted by Dr. Cornel West celebrating the music genre of Hip-Hop. This panel based event, held on Monday, April 24th, 2006, was titled ``A Hip-Hop Revolution?'' and it featured expert panelists from the academia, entertainment, and publishing spheres who gathered to address the issue of whether Hip-Hop music had the capability to serve as a tool for revolution. This event formed part of a four-program series, the ``Leadership Forum Series: Higher Pursuits'' taking place at the Schomburg Museum in Harlem, New York. This particular event that focused on the potential of Hip-Hop to serve as an instrument for social movement shed some light on contemporary perspectives on the evolution of Hip-Hop from a subgroup of African American music born to the New York borough of the Bronx, to one of the most popular genres of music around the world. To some panelists, the answer to this question was positive. Writer Greg Tate held that Hip-Hop was just a manifestation of black people's way to transform their world. To him, Hip-Hip embodied a culture that produced leaders and prophets ``to get us through the next plateau of our struggles.'' On the other hand, Dr. Imani Perry, associate professor at Rutgers Law School, submitted that ``Hip-Hop doesn't exist as a viable social movement, but its music generates courage.'' Whatever the case may be, facilitator Dr. West concluded and all the panelists agreed that Hip-Hop may perhaps offer the ``soundtrack'' for a movement. However, one should not look to it for a ``blueprint'' for a revolution when there is a great exemplar from the African-American and African Diasporan history. [From the Africana Heritage, Apr. 24, 2006] Cornel West and Panel Talk Hip-Hop Activism On Monday, April 24, 2006 the Schomburg Center held the third of four programs in its Leadership Forum Series: Higher Pursuits hosted and moderated by Dr. Cornel West. The focus of the discussion was ``A Hip-Hop Revolution?'' and featured guest panelists Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Assistant Professor of Urban Education at Temple University; Dr. Imani Perry, Associate Professor at Rutgers Law School and author of Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip-Hop; Carlito Rodriguez, Producer Consultant at BET News and former Editor-in-Chief of The Source magazine; Akiba Solomon, Senior Editor at Vibe Vixen and Co-Editor of Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips, and Other Body Parts; and Greg Tate, author of Everything But the Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture and long-time contributor to the Village Voice. Dr. West gave each of the panelists time to address the issue of whether Hip-Hop music has any revolutionary potential. According to Carlito Rodriguez, people often have a very romantic view about Hip-Hop and its influence, but he reminded the audience that he grew up in the Bronx during the music's toddler years and everything about the culture wasn't necessarily a good thing. ``I don't subscribe to the revisionist history that everybody and everything in Hip-Hop was positive. It began with acts like Run-DMC who went from looking like Parliament Funkadelic to [wearing] street gear. It soon became `I want that chain, that car' and somewhere along the line, that became the norm. I think someone has to make music that caters to me--grown man rap.'' Rodriguez emphasized that the lyrics today don't really address the many issues he faces as a man in his late 30s. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, who is currently working on several book projects regarding Hip-Hop culture, made a very important distinction. ``The question mark at the end of `A Hip-Hop Revolution?' is so critical. Is Hip-Hop a revolutionary form, born out of resistance? Yes. Is it in content? I'm not sure.'' Dr. Hill added, ``When someone looks at a rapper like Lil' Kim as a feminist role model, there is a [disconnect] with the message of Hip-Hop not engaging listeners in the day-to-day politics of the `hood.''' Writer Greg Tate was more optimistic on what the future could bring as far as leadership. ``I know it has never really been about Hip-Hop; it has always been [about] black people's way to transform their world,'' explains Tate. ``The culture spits [out] the prophets, the leaders, to get us through the next plateau of our struggles. The future of Hip- Hop is in a maternity ward somewhere. The answer to the crisis is a voice we haven't heard before, but because we can imagine it, it probably exists.'' Dr. Imani Perry believes that a community-based approach seems more realistic than a creative one. ``Hip-Hop doesn't exist as a viable social movement, but its music generates courage. I am more interested in the community providing a social justice movement.'' Editor and journalist Akiba Solomon put things rather bluntly: ``my short answer to the question [about Hip-Hop being revolutionary] is `no.' I've gone through a lot with Hip-Hop; I compare it to an abusive marriage. Every time it punches me in my face--it gives me gifts. Hip-Hop has been used as a euphemism for different things. It's important that we define what we're talking about and whom we're talking about. My mid-80s view is that I think we are talking about predominately black and Latino youth who come from a certain class or struggle. But I think a major piece that is missing is that you cannot have an art form have any social change potential when it objectifies or minimizes half the population.'' Dr. West offered closing thoughts: ``Latinos and blacks have so many resources, but they still don't have total control of it. Hip-Hop is a global phenomenon and it has a different context in other countries like Bolivia and Colombia.'' Unlike those countries, Hip-Hop here in the United States can often be more degrading than it is uplifting. But one thing that all the panelists, Dr. West included, agreed on is that society's ills will not be changed by a song or a performer, but by small pockets of people doing their best to make a difference. And while Hip- Hop can sometimes provide the soundtrack to a movement, no one should look to it for a blueprint, when there is so much more from African-American and African Diasporan history that could provide that sort of guidance. ____________________