urban life and black identity via spoken word

I had a good first meeting with the students in this course last week. We discussed the iconic "Miss Anne" character against Miley Cyrus. One aside: there is a slight change in how this blog will be presented this semester. Whereas in the past I have tried to present the students' thoughts via their writing, because this is now a discussion-driven course, there will be fewer writing posts. Instead, the students will present some of the new things they are learning via a spoken word performances, which will be posted here in the weeks ahead. In fact, we will take up the issue of how spoken word gain traction in American society nationally in the 1990s. Tomorrow, among other things we will discuss how black identity has become a critical part of the spoken word movement.  Some of the questions they should be thinking about include, "How did black life become associated with urban living?" and "How does urban life manifest in spoken word performances?" I want them to also  think about whether spoken word performances reinforce some of the stereotypes many people have about black life in America. One reason why this issue is worth addressing, according to scholar Susan B.A. Somers-Willett, is because white middle class people are often the audience for such performances. Perhaps in supporting such events, they are observing - rather than actively engaging - their historical role in some of the issues being discussed by African Americans via this art form. As we prepare to tackle these and other topics, see above a well known spoken word piece in the 1997 movie Love Jones, which unveils a young African American man's romantic overture. It is hard not to miss the ways in which black masculinity issues are intertwined with his references to black culture and black love.