“The question 'Why white kids love hip-hop?' forces us immediately to deal with the historical weight of race in America. On the surface people see hip-hop and race as nothing new. I think the ways young white Americans are engaging hip-hop suggest something more.” PeopleThinkingWayKidsAmericaYoungForceWhiteDealsRaceWeightHistoricalHip HopSurfaceHipsHopsEngagingNothing NewRace In AmericaKids Love Author:Bakari Kitwana
“Locally lived hip-hop culture that is giving many of America's youth the tool they need to survive and thrive in America, in the face of public policy that have written too many young people off.” PeopleNeedsGivingAmericaFacesYoungCultureWrittenPolicyYouthToolsHip HopHipsThriveHopsPublic Policy Author:Bakari Kitwana
“Few places in American culture have made as effective a case for entrepreneurship than hip-hop. Hip-hop tells young people that our society is offering very limited options for youth. And that while society points to a radical decline in living wage jobs for youth and meaningful and affordable education, hip-hop is offering an alternative legitimate economy that is giving youth hope.” PeopleGivingMadeJobsYoungCultureCasesEconomyYouthHip HopMeaningfulEntrepreneurshipRadicalHipsAlternativesHopsOur SocietyOfferingDeclineAmerican CultureAffordableLiving Wage Author:Bakari Kitwana
“I am trying to get folks outside the hip-hop culture to understand why, despite the negatives, young people find hope and refuge in hip-hop. I'm hoping that young people immersed in the culture will work harder to capitalize on the possibilities for great social change that hip-hop represents as a national unified cultural youth movement.” PeopleTryingYoungCultureSocialMovementPossibilityYouthHard WorkHarderFolksHip HopDespiteHipsHopsRefugeSocial ChangeWork HarderUnified Author:Bakari Kitwana
“My hope is to get young people to think about ways that they can translate hip-hop's great cultural movement into political power that can change the conditions for America's young, so that young people upon graduating from high school who don't have economic means to go to college can realize other options beyond joining the military and fighting in wars that enrich corporations like Halliburton which should feel guilty about profiteering off of a war that is being fought on the backs of those locked out of America's mainstream economy.” PeopleThinkingWayFeelsShouldMeanWarSchoolAmericaYoungPoliticalFightingRealizingEconomyEconomicConditionsMilitaryMovementCollegeHigh SchoolHip HopGuiltyHipsCorporationsHopsGraduatesMainstreamLockedTranslateJoiningPolitical PowerGraduating High SchoolJoining The Military Author:Bakari Kitwana