The Texas State Board of Education apparently doesn't believe that hip-hop should be considered a social movement in America. They also decided to remove various areas of civil rights and global politics from their curriculum, to exchange them for conservative historic figures and beliefs.
After deciding that hip-hop should not be taught as a social movement, they also agreed to remove institutional racism and its presence in American society. To make matters more interesting, they chose to eliminate important references to Latino and Hispanic figures.
One Republican, Don McLeroy, tried to pass an amendment that would state that the struggle for Civil Rights led to
"unrealistic expectations for equal outcomes." This amendment didn't pass.
I am not sure if you agree, but there are millions who believe that hip hop is certainly a relevant cultural movement and art form. There are universities that teach classes on hip hop, including Harvard University, which is a long way from Texas geographically, socially and intellectually. Hip hop has inspired social and political change, and has been a significant voice for urban America.
Not only does the voice for hip hop ring throughout America, it is a global force. When I traveled to Europe, China and Africa, I saw the presence of hip hop around almost every turn. People of color, despite what they think about commercialized hip hop, should find it offensive that such a significant art form has been ignored by the state of Texas. Additionally, the absence of Latino figures from the Texas educational system is especially embarrassing, given that they represent more than 1/3 of the Texas population. The Texas Board of Education clearly has a diversity problem, and it appears to be a case of arrogance breeding ignorance.
The bickering within the Texas Board of Education reminds us of one important principle: History is taught by the victors and biased by the lens of the teacher. By pinpointing various aspects of history and selectively choosing the angle with which we present the information to our youth, we are giving ourselves a license to control their minds.
When it comes to education, a liberated mind is just as important as an educated one. In fact, there are some cases in which educational institutions stand in the way of being truly educated. When you educate yourself and your children, make sure they learn what they need to know. Take them outside school walls to get the knowledge they need. If you let someone else control your child's intellectual development, you are giving up an unnecessary concession on their future.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (10)
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By: The Truth on 3/15/2010 6:00PM
By definition/Social Movement
A group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals.
I have viewed hip hop as primarily a musical movement without much in the way of having a positive direction. Other than a few brilliant glimmers of poetic relevance, hip-hop appears to contain a great deal of thuggery, offering a lifestyle exemplifying to do whatever it takes to get paid without regard for others. What goals are the people trying to achieve?
Tupac’s C.D (Based in talent). is still in my collection, but I gotta say “so-called” artists like Kanye West and P-Diddy just aren’t good representatives of what’s needed to continue driving this movement. Much props to P-diddy for running that marathon for charity but Kanye appears to be just an angry ass. Any help with enlightening me would be appreciated.
Oh and by the way Dr. Boyce, Your last 2 paragraphs are brilliant and exceedingly relevant. All should take notice. God Bless!
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By: concerned american on 3/15/2010 9:19PM
Anybody with half a brain knows hip-hop culture do not belong in a public school setting. What are you going to teach dice throwing, pole dancing, ebonics dialects classes, rolling blunts, learning how to sagg your pants? Get real people there is nothing noble about thug life.
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By: blackbear72 on 3/15/2010 11:00PM
I don't believe it, a intelligent person on BV. But I would go one step further, it should be in the text books, as a fake culture that has wrecked havoc on this country. Hip Hops story should be told, the story of the collapse of every big city in America. The story of an infection worse then HIV or the black plague and hopefully this fake culture will come to an end. Then we can put the date of the end of HH in the history books too. Not one positive long lasting thing has ever come out of hip hop. By the way could there possibly be a more gay name then hip hop?
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By: Billy Springer on 3/16/2010 1:24AM
"Hip-hop" has no social value whatsoever. It is for fools only.
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By: tmj707 on 3/16/2010 6:51PM
1st of all, whether u like hip hop or not, it has had a PROFOUND effect on American society. In the last 20 years, hip hop has produced more Black millionaires than in the last century...in one industry. This brought the possibility of wealth into young minds that would never have though such attainable. Talk about changing economic status!
2nd, please refer to the nineties movement blown up by Public Enemy...fight the power! which was really a revival of Gil Scot Heron, which was an extension of Malcom X...
3rd, again giving naysayers the benefit of the doubt and not including content, hip hop has traveled the globe creating the same frenzy and devotion from people of all races and cultures. Check you tube...there are mad Norwegians, Danes, Finnish, Japanese, Chinese...etc. SCRATCHING RYHMING BREAKDANCING...seriously? Can willful ignorance really extend around the globe? wow. really?
Even if you are NOT a hip hop fan, reality is reality. we have created a new form of music that is loved GLOBALLY (and it's not the first time, thanks--jazz). it originated here. for that reason alone, it should be taught in school.
end of story.
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By: tmj on 3/16/2010 7:03PM
sorry let me address above...
rap, the sagging pants, blunt pole dancing aspects mentioned above are products of rap...which is an OFFSHOOT of hiphop. hip hop is the pure form of the music, rap is a derivative of. Before you denigrate, check the facts...the artists...the flow the beats, the music, the scratching..try mos def, try qbert, try the alkaholiks..then wade into a kanye or Nas...it might make more sense. what it will surely do is show that HIP HOP is varied, yet worth exploring. You might like some Floetry and hate some 50 cent...or vice versa. but only hip hop gives you that choice.
For educational purposes, teacher could show the roots of hip hop in the civils rights struggle, from chanting in the fields during slavery to a Nina Simone (Everybodoy Knows About Mississippi!) to Gil Scott to KRS-One...
boom wrote the curriculum
email me w/my pay TX ISD! lol
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By: Kandyce Pearson on 3/18/2010 4:27PM
Stop the IGNORANCE. Hip Hop does not= thuggery
"Hip means to know - it's a form of intelligence
To be hip is to be up-date and relevant
Hop is a form of movement
You can't just observe a hop - you got to hop up and do it
Hip and Hop is more than music
Hip is the knowledge – Hop is the movement
Hip and Hop is intelligent movement
Or relevant movement – we selling the music
So write this down on your black books and journals
Hip-Hop culture is eternal"
-KRS-1
Do your research before you embarrass yourself.
Lots have things have been created with a positive focus and have gotten into the wrong hands. Hip Hop is a great example. Just like all Black people don't steal, do drugs, and have reckless sex, all Hip Hop is not negative. There are wayyyyyy more than a handful of postive and intelligent artists out there. Maybe if people realize the radio can be poison and actually search for good music, they will realize the gift of hip hop...
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By: Lisa on 3/18/2010 11:08PM
Wow, I can tell there are a lot of white people responding so far....Am I wrong??
Anyways, hip hop has completely over taken all forms of social entertainment (which is a significant cultural influence), but also filled the angst, especially of white kids in the suburbs, that address their needs to have something to fight and stand up for. Just for the mainstream (white) that should be enough to discuss its cultural influence that has spread world wide. That alone.
I think the problem is, is that it did fill the hole the angst for suburban white america had, and there is a degree of bitterness...Remember, its when the mainstream (white) audiences starting buying that It blew up worldwide....FACT
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By: Concord on 3/21/2010 9:32AM
Hip Hop is sooooooo positive.
Do you kiss your Mom with that mounth??
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By: AMGis4u on 3/22/2010 1:09PM
I seriously doubt that the school system today could do the Hip Hop culture any justice for it's cultural impact around the world. Clearly though the issue is bigger with the exclusions of Latinos.
What clearly a lot of us in the Black communities hate is what RAP has done to our communities (not Hip Hop if you understand the connection)under the title of creative expression. This vulgur, blah-blah-blah has historical roots to men who sit back and do nothing or say nothing.
While we can point to the contection of rap sending many in a bad direction, some of these brilliant men have to know, but money or cowardice keep them silent. ( we'll have to wait for them to get old) When other educatated cultures catch a cold- the Black community who struggle as a majority for quality education catch pnuemonia(is that spelled right?) from the Rap movement.
You have got to be kidding talking about how much money. Are you saying we are limited in what we can inspire our youths to do. The fact that these individuals get the money and can neither hold on to it or put it in their communities to educate others is worthy of knowing true impact. Through out history millions have been put in our communities for the greater cause of losing minds and souls. Are we expendable???
I don't hold rap responsible for all the ills in our communities, but with so much clout and in a time of need most can only pander to the prison tattood, sagging pants, wanna be kids looking for direction, dollar strip clubbers and wanna bees, but cowards.
There will always be some , in some day in history and when we teach it with the facts (research them) will it be dirty laundry or one to grow on?
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