Voice and Visibility

Description
While the immediate focus of this course will be directed toward the contemporary Hip Hop and Spoken Word Movements, we will engage the contemporary moment as part of an African American cultural legacy that is built upon a bedrock of oral tradition. We will consider the significance of orality in crafting and cultivating the forms, styles, and content of African American cultural expression. Examining oral expressions that range from music to public speeches, this course positions the spoken word as central to understanding the complex issues of identity, culture, and politics that shape the African American presence in American society. REA, WRI, PRS, MCP