In a video posted in early 2016, Amandla Stenburg addresses the appropriation of Black culture by artists such as Miley Cyrus and Macklemore. The young, black actress ends her monologue with a simple question: “What would America be like if it loved black people as much as it loves Black culture?” While reading Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader, it became increasingly clear that Black culture is loved by many and understood by few. As Tate delves into his work of critiques and interviews of famous black authors, musicians, and performers otherwise, I realized that even I do not fully understand the intricacies and initial development of the culture I identify with and profess to love.
Black intellectuals, artists, and innovators have managed to aid in the shaping of the zeitgeist, yet receive little credit for their efforts, achievements, and the opportunities they have created for others through their willingness to jump racial hurdles in the pursuit to express themselves wholly. By properly educating the masses on the important contributions that these brilliant minds made to American culture and society in its entirety, I posit that America could come to not only love black people as it loves Black culture, but to further understand and appreciate both. The artists Tate dissects whose contributions most impressively embody our culture and the issues …show more content…
As a result, reverence for Hendrix’s works are hardly heard outside of the smoky, dimly-lit dwellings of underground musicians; seldom beyond the conversations of cherishers of the indie, the rebellious. Still, his legacy and artistry are as worthy of remembrance as Rosa’s refusal to relinquish her seat, though differently so. His expressionism is of a sort that is being lost on myself and my peers, but it represents how adversity, passion, and dedication can add to the audaciousness of our
Black intellectuals, artists, and innovators have managed to aid in the shaping of the zeitgeist, yet receive little credit for their efforts, achievements, and the opportunities they have created for others through their willingness to jump racial hurdles in the pursuit to express themselves wholly. By properly educating the masses on the important contributions that these brilliant minds made to American culture and society in its entirety, I posit that America could come to not only love black people as it loves Black culture, but to further understand and appreciate both. The artists Tate dissects whose contributions most impressively embody our culture and the issues …show more content…
As a result, reverence for Hendrix’s works are hardly heard outside of the smoky, dimly-lit dwellings of underground musicians; seldom beyond the conversations of cherishers of the indie, the rebellious. Still, his legacy and artistry are as worthy of remembrance as Rosa’s refusal to relinquish her seat, though differently so. His expressionism is of a sort that is being lost on myself and my peers, but it represents how adversity, passion, and dedication can add to the audaciousness of our