3 Short Readings on Blackboard:
- Amiri Baraka, "Black Woman," from Raise, Race, Rays, Raze: Essays Since 1965
- Amiri Baraka, "Jim Brown on the Screen," from Spirit Reach
- Pearl Cleage, "Mad at Miles," from The Miles Davis Companion
Duke U seminar on relationship between popular music and masculinities in the United States
Thursday, March 31, 2011
April 5--Guest Speaker: Dr. Jeremy Smith, Duke Jazz Archivist
*For this class, you are only required to post a question.*
3 Short Readings on Blackboard:
3 Short Readings on Blackboard:
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10 comments:
Question:
In Baraka’s essay, she indicated that women inspire men and that women are the creators of environments. How did men respond to statements such as these?
Correction for Typo:
he* should be the 4th word (in reference to Baraka)
Discussion Question:
The Baraka “Black Woman” essay discusses how the primary role of the black woman deals with raising of children and instilling in them desire principles. How is that role different in modern times, where the woman is more integrated in the work force and higher-level education?
Cleage discusses her distaste for the music of Miles Davis because of his past self-admittance of hitting women. Is it right or fair to the music to express disgust or praise because of the artist's personal decisions or should we strive to keep the personal and musical life of an artist separate?
I'm a bit confused by the analogy Cleage uses at the end of her piece. Is she trying to compare male on male racism to sexism? Why does she assume that people would continue to like Kenny G's music? What does this mean for her overall message?
Baraka suggests that men and women are naturally created for distinct but complementary gender roles, namely that women are responsible for creating and maintaining social order. (It never becomes clear what men are responsible for.) Baraka even says she "cannot understand what devils and the devilishly influenced mean when they say equality for women" (Baraka 148). I'd like to ask Baraka what the biological basis is for her claim that "nature has not provided" for men and women to be equals? (I can intuit what Baraka's argument would most likely be, but I can also see several logical inconsistencies it would have. In order for her argument to follow in logic, one would have to use socialization rather than biological essentialism as evidentiary support. Thus, it's not that nature has not provided for men and women to be equals but ideology that does not provide for men and women to be equals.)
By insisting on embracing an African identity that is separate from the American or white identity, and by promoting a female identity that is complementary to but not equal to that of a male, isn't Baraka only propagating the racism and sexism that she claims to be fighting? (Are my views limited to a 2011 perspective?)
Baraka states, "We must make sure our children are Black... not only by Race, and Culture, but through Consciousness." Do you consider this "reverse" racism? Does it seem that Baraka considers black better than white? I understand her reasons due to her African American history, but do you think that it was philosophies like these that furthered the racial gap? That it wasn't just one-sided?
How might the yearning for unity among a group (such as suggested by the articles) result in the subordination of subgroups or a development of double standards? How can unity counter these double standards? How relevant were Cleage’s comments to the way in which we approach music today? How much does a musician’s personal life and the statement their behavior makes impact sales? Fans? How much does it disrupt or enhance intimacy between the music (or artist) and the audience?
Baraka states that it is the black woman's task to inspire the black man. Why is this so? Why not the reverse?
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