Rise up Hip Hop Nation, Wise Up: The Choice is Yours

As always, I'd like to begin by offering peace and respect to my sisters and brothers all across the globe living their lives the best they can; especially in times that just seem to get harder with each passing day. Right now, my own life is very hectic and trying, but I had to take a moment to write this piece. With this historic election now less than two weeks away, there is one message I feel must be expressed clearly: The result of this one election will not change world dynamics, but it will change our role in future possibilities.


When thinking of the appropriate title for this essay, Black Sheep’s classic record came to mind. And for us, the choice is critical, the choice will have long lasting effects, and the choice is clear:

On November 4th, we either put the first nail in the coffin of white supremacy and white nationalism…or we put the final nail in the coffin of our own relevance in national dynamics.

While the result will also have important effects on the economy, wars, culture issues, and other political issues, this choice will most significantly speak to this broader historical consequence. I’ve written in previous blog entries that this race is all about race. An ever growing list of code words has been developed to "other" Obama (muslim, terrorist, socialist, liberal, leftist, anti-american, inexperienced, elitist). The message is the same = he is not white….despite his white mother (Remember the one drop rule).


For many whites in this country, an Obama presidency is absolutely unacceptable because it undermines the entire reality they have created in their minds. The Emperor has no clothes. We’ve known this truth, but many in this country are still not ready to see it. And many can’t handle the truth. That is why we have the lynch mobs coming out of hiding and back to the forefront of Amerikkka. So while it is true that African Americans and youth are invested in Obama and a loss would be felt deeply by many (see: The Fire This Time), I have argued that the possibility for social upheaval and violence may be more likely with an Obama win than loss.

I teach at a college in South LA (serving cities of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Watts, Compton and South LA). Discussing the election with my classes, I discovered a mixture of those that are following the election and those that are not. Those most excited tend to be older African Americans. Some are even planning block parties to celebrate the historic moment if Obama wins and becomes the first African American president.


Younger students, the hip hop youth, are less passionate about the election. While some are excited about the possibility of a black president, they are also into a lot of other things and not “following” as closely.…Many being realists from low income communities are naturally cynical about the political process and would not be surprised by a stolen election or Obama loss due to racism. Most know their lives won’t be affected directly so they are not as personally invested as older students. So while they are wearing Obama t-shirts and many will vote, if Obama loses, they will go about their business November 5th no differently than they did November 3rd. So I don’t see hip hop (black youth) taking it to the streets if Obama loses, although I know it doesn't take much to start something...I was actually in LA when the Rodney King verdict came down and while the buzz was incredulous that even with "taped evidence we still got got" no one expected what they would see hours later and days after that...fires all around the city...you never know, someone might start something and it won’t take much to escalate, especially given the hard times... but I do believe that there is more chance of a "violent uproar" by white nationalists with an Obama win...some folks are just not ready....


At a sociology conference this summer, many voiced a concern that an Obama win would symbolize the end of racism in many people’s minds (that we had “overcome”), despite the reality of a completely racialized society. What now seems to be more likely is that an Obama win will expose more than anything in recent history how far we have NOT “come”. And for that reason alone, all must understand the real stakes of this election. This truth must be exposed and addressed boldly in order to really progress toward a more just society. If Obama wins, the scab of an American sore that was never treated properly will finally be off and the real healing can begin. This is what is at stake.


If Obama loses, white nationalism, and the political party that is sustained by it, gets a reprieve and will use that power to make sure no such “close call” happens again anytime soon. Think Prison Industrial Complex and disenfranchisement will be taken to another level…anti-immigrant sentiments stoked, Patriot Act expanded…If the masses (of people of all backgrounds) inspired by Obama can even get over such a tough loss, they will be so well controlled, their efforts to challenge the status quo will prove most difficult. An historic opportunity would be lost and irrelevance could be the true result of election night returns. The next two weeks will probably just get uglier with desperation setting in, and white nationalists protecting their interests by any means necessary. Are you (hip hop) ready to do the same?



So you can get with this:





Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am

Or you can get with that:

Read article here: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_buck16.3d67d4a.html



The choice is yours. So Rise up Hip Hop Nation…and VOTE for your future relevance.