We Made It!: History’s Role in the Present

Summary

Critical consciousness has been defined briefly as the “capacity to recognize and overcome sociopolitical barriers.” It consists of two components: critical reflection and critical action. Critical reflection refers to the deep analysis of systemic oppression, such as social, economic, and other conditions that restrict access to opportunities. Critical action begins with the perceived ability to change oppressive conditions in the community or society. This is referred to as “sociopolitical control.” If supported well, this control leads to individual or collective social action to create social change.

Research on critical consciousness suggests that it can help marginalized youth overcome structural barriers or constraints. Attainment of critical consciousness has been associated with improved mental health, school engagement, career development, and occupational status among marginalized youth. In addition, when supported by caring adults or peers, marginalized youth show more sociopolitical control and social action.

This lesson is intended to promote critical reflection about your young men’s cultural heritage as well as systems of Slavery and Jim Crow and how these traditions may influence their lived experiences today. Helping young men gain knowledge about and reflect on their cultural heritage is one way to foster a sense of belonging, an important developmental asset associated with decreased risky behavior. It also helps set the stage for understanding how the oppressive systems of Slavery and Jim Crow were developed to undermine and erode that heritage. They should reflect on and discuss these historical systems in terms of how the effects are apparent today and what might be done to reduce the effects.

Objectives

Following this lesson young men will be able to:

• Identify and interpret the informative messages embedded in selected hip hop songs
• Describe, in their own words, why understanding their cultural heritage is important
• Describe, in their own words, how the traditions of Slavery and Jim Crow may still present barriers to them and other young men of color
• Identify ways to address barriers presented by traditions of Slavery and Jim Crow

Content

This lesson uses content from several songs to explore the topic of History and its connection with the lived experience of young men of color. The songs are:

“I Can” by Nas

“We Made It Freestyle” by Jay Z and Jay Electronica

“All of Us” by Talib Kweli (feat. Yummy Bingham and Jay Electronica)

“Foreward, 1619” by Sho Baraka (feat. Adan Bean)

NOTE: As the educator, it is important that you take time to listen carefully to the songs and review the lesson before you begin to deliver the lesson. We frequently use Genius and occasionally use YouTube to provide links to the songs. Genius is a great source for pretty accurate lyrics and crowd-sourced interpretation of the lyrics. YouTube sometimes provides versions with lyrics and conveys important visual imagery.

Key Messages

Below are the primary lyrics and messages you’ll want to focus on during this lesson. Remember, the idea is facilitate rich discussion and deep reflection about the youth’s cultural heritage and how oppressive systems did and still do operate to erode that heritage. You should also push your young men to consider how they can address any challenges presented by the legacies of Slavery and Jim Crow.

Before diving into the songs and lyrics, summarize the day’s topic for your young men. Give them a sense of what you’ll be discussing and why. Try something like this:

“Last time we met, we talked about the concept of Critical Consciousness. We discussed four areas in which Critical Consciousness is essential. Being critically conscious can help you address many of the challenges you may face as you get older. It can also help you take a stand against injustice.”

Discuss – Do you remember the four areas or topics we discussed last time? Did one of them really stand out for you?

“Okay, well today I’d like to talk with you about one of those topics, History, and the role it can play in shaping our present experience. Like last time, I want to use some hip hop music to start our discussion and reflection on cultural heritage as well as the systems of Slavery and Jim Crow that operated during the first 340-plus years of our nation’s history.”

Cultural Heritage

Start by talking about cultural heritage generally. Explain that an individual’s cultural heritage is the set of customs, traditions, attributes, and even physical artifacts that they naturally inherit from past generations. It includes tangible things like books, artwork, and monuments as well as intangible things like knowledge, language, traditions, and folklore.

Discuss – Can you tell me something about your cultural heritage? What types of tangible or intangible things are you aware of that your ancestors may have passed down?

Now, transition to Nas’ “I Can.”

In the 3rd verse, Nas opens by saying “before we came to this country/we were kings and queens, never porch monkeys/there was empires in Africa called Kush/Timbuktu, where every race went to get books.”

Briefly consider these lines in the context of the whole song. Nas is encouraging young people of African descent to reflect on the fact that their ancestors were leaders and educators who built thriving societies. These are the traits that they are culturally endowed with.

Now, give another example from Jay Z and Jay Electronica’s “We Made It Freestyle.”

In the 1st verse, Jay Electronica reflects on his own African heritage, saying “face all on the Sphinx/stories all in the walls of the pyramids…”

The artist supports Nas’ point, providing two examples of extraordinary monuments erected by ancient African people that preserve the culture’s architectural prowess and historical relevance to this day. Facilitate some discussion with your young men to explore the importance of cultural heritage.

Discuss – Why do you think Nas and Jay Electronica are directing their listeners to reflect on the cultural heritage of African Americans? Can you think of more recent examples of people from your culture doing extraordinary things? Why might it be important for you and other young men to understand and reflect on this heritage?

NOTE – If you are working with young men who are not of African descent, you should explain that while the artists in today’s lesson do not directly mention other cultures, the interpretation is the same: it’s important to know where you come from. Help them explore examples that reflect their culture heritage (e.g., Native American tribal communities and civilization; Aztec, Incan, and Mayan empires). Do your homework in advance and explore their ancestors’ contributions together.

Slavery and Jim Crow

After discussing your young men’s cultural heritage and why it’s important, it’s time to turn to the historical systems that were designed to undermine that heritage. The point here is to briefly consider how these systems operated to disconnect people of African descent from the tangible and intangible artifacts that make up their cultural inheritance. You should also consider with your young men how the effects of these systems are still evident in their lives.

Sho Baraka’s “Foreward, 1619” provides great content to begin this discussion.

In the 4th verse, featured artist, Adan Bean, says “For I am the colored cog in the capitalists’ wheel/with baby faced bronze skin and melanin appeal/snatched from the cradle of civilization…”

Consider how the artist expresses his forced disconnection from his cultural birthright. Africa is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because it is where the first societies of humans emerged, with its own arts, religions, traditions, etc. He was enslaved to fulfill the profit motive of plantation owners and drive the American economy. This was, in part, due to his physical characteristics.

Discuss – What does the artist mean when he says the cradle of civilization? Why was he snatched from his home?

The artist continues and shifts from Slavery to Jim Crow, saying “with sugar cane on my fingertips and shackles on my feet/there were limitations to emancipating me/until I sunk my teeth into Juneteenth/freedom tastes like grandma’s sweet potato pie/but it goes from master’s plantation to mass incarceration/as the Jim Crow flies.”

Consider the challenges that remained even after slaves gained so-called freedom (I.e., emancipation). The limitations for freed slaves may have included loss of a native language, family and tribal members; lack of education; no material resources. The artist describes how, just as he gained an understanding of the possibilities posed by freedom (e.g., starting a [new] family, earning a wage, building a home), the harsh tactics of the Jim Crow era reminded him that he was still far from free.

Discuss – Why does the artist say there were limits to emancipating him? What challenges did freed slaves continue to face after the Civil War ended in emancipation?

Now, it’s time to shift to the lingering effects of Slavery and Jim Crow. Talib Kweli can spark this conversation with his song “All of Us.”

In the 1st verse, Kweli points to some of the tactics that have survived from the traditions of Slavery and Jim Crow, saying “The common myth that we’re savages with no history or accomplishments/or knowledge of ourselves, they did a job on us.” He goes on to talk about the effects of this disconnection from one’s cultural heritage, saying “When I talk about our past it doesn’t ring a bell/They make you hate yourself, it takes effort so check the method/they’ll take you from your family, your kids’ll never respect ya/attach your sins to the blackest skin, we get the message/we start acting if we crackin’ the whip better than the oppressor.”

Consider how past and current media portrayals and even “educational” materials depict ancestors of people of color as uncivilized savages. Also, explore with your young men the methods the artist describes. Separation of families was commonplace during the slave trade. This tactic continued with mass incarceration during the Jim Crow era and remains a concern to this day. In addition, negative traits (sins) were regularly associated with blackness. For instance, whites commonly described African Americans as stupid, lazy, lustful, and aggressive among other things. The artist suggests that people sometimes unconsciously accept these messages and stick to the script that has been given to them (I.e., “we start acting”).

Discuss – Have you seen or heard the myths that Kweli talks about, where your ancestors are thought of as “savages?” Can you think of negative messages you’ve heard associated with people of color? How does mass incarceration continue the traditions of Slavery and Jim Crow currently? Kweli thinks people of color sometimes are “crackin’ the whip better than the oppressor.” Do you ever feel like you or others around you are ‘sticking to the script’ of the oppressor by doing things that might get you in trouble with the law or believing you are not good at school?

NOTE – Again, if you are not working with young men of African descent, these messages can still be applied. Other groups of color have certainly experienced oppressive systems that still have effects today. For instance, Native Americans were violently oppressed, families were separated, and their native languages and cultures were stripped. Similarly, many indigenous people from Central and South America were conquered by Europeans, forced to give up their cultural traditions and religions, and stripped of gold and silver resources.

Summary Messages

To conclude this lesson, work with your young men to bring it all together. They have rich cultural heritage of which they should be proud. It is important to understand this heritage so they are not fooled by the myths and other tactics intended to undermine or make them forget that heritage. The systems established to undermine their heritage–Slavery and Jim Crow in this lesson–still have some lasting effects today. By understanding these systems and how they used to and still do operate, young men of color can embrace their proud heritage while avoiding the traps of oppressive systems.

Jay Electronica sums it up nicely on “We Made It Freestyle.”

In the 1st verse, he says “we came a long way from the bottom of the boat/all praise to the Mahdi, we found our language/gold necklace, middle finger erected…”

In the 2nd verse, Jay Z chimes in, “hopped off the slave ship/popped off my chain and took it to Jacob, I got it gold plated/stepped in that bitch like ‘nigga, we made it!’/I own my own masters/no, I ain’t missing no royalty statements.”

The artists are reflecting on how much progress people of color have made, from the height of oppression (bottom of the boat [slave ship]), to unifying as a people (found our language, a new common language after our native tongues were suppressed), and now unapologetically reclaiming their rich cultural heritage that was stripped away so many years before. They have literally gone from chains of enslavement to gold chains made with the resources that are their cultural inheritance (Africa is very rich in gold ore). Now, they literally own their masters (I.e., the publishing rights to all their music) and figuratively they have ‘flipped the script’ on the slave masters of old.

Discuss – What does it mean to own one’s masters, literally and figuratively?

Jay Electronica and Jay Z are celebrating their progress as men of color. Adan Bean discusses how he came to that point, navigating the barriers of Jim Crow, in “Foreward, 1619.”

He says, “trying to integrate, or praying to stay alive/thinking that if my work was good/somehow y’all would recognize my personhood/but nah, instead I had to hustle this chocolate charm/this Black brilliance, this ebony ingenuity/I know what this nation has done, can do, and is doing to me/also what it could be and therefore, still, I rise/from 1619 and beyond I stand/from being three-fifths of a compromise plan/using the breath in my Black lungs/shouting words from a place of Black love/’I am a man.'”

The artist describes how he uses his culturally endowed traits of charm, intelligence, and courageous innovation (just as his ancestors did to build great societies) to recognize the systems in place to keep him down. He uses the same traits to “rise” in spite of oppression and create a better nation.

Discuss – What are some ways you can use your charm, brilliance, and ingenuity to avoid, address, or overcome the lingering effects of Slavery and Jim Crow (negative messages about people of color, mass incarceration, discrimination)?