Sophie and I presented on the topic of colorblind racism and cultural appropriation of Hip-Hop culture. These two readings were interesting because it showed how prevalent colorblind racism is seen within the entertainment industry. In the first reading, “Colorblind Ideology and the Cultural Appropriation of Hip-Hop,” Jason Rodriquez dissect the Hip-Hop industry and the history behind it becoming a white space. I found it shocking to realize that the entertainment industry isn’t as progressive as it is made out to be. I also found it interesting how Rodriquez gave us other examples other than hip-hop, where a space started as a minority one and then became a white space. His article also showed how people who support the hip-hop industry use colorblind racism. Rodriquez showed this through an experiment that he conducted. In his study, he interviewed fans of particular artists and asked them questions. From this study, he concluded that white people use hip-hop and other black forms of entertainment to deny or look past their advantages and privilege. On the other hand, the cultural appropriation packet that we read was very interesting as well because it showed how much cultural appropriation is common from fashion designers to food places such as taco bell. This packet put into perspective the seriousness of the issue.
In our presentation, Sophie and I first touched on the definition of colorblind racism and what that means we even gave examples using a YouTube video and a comic. We then broke down the first reading about cultural appropriation in the Hip-Hop culture by placing two pictures side by side — one of the WuTang Clan and their audience versus Travis Scott’s audience today. You can see a drastic change in crowds. You can also see the shift from a minority space to a white space. I never knew how dramatic the shift was, but it is something that definitely can’t go unnoticed. We also touched on where it all started, which was MTV Raps. I thought it was interesting how Rodriquez clearly explained how MTV impacted the shift in the hip-hop culture.
One thing that surprised me the most was the music industry today. When I think of this industry, I expect progression, acceptance, and respect for other cultures. But, after doing this project, I realized that that wasn’t the case. The entertainment industry has been an industry that has been stripped from African Americans and put into the hands of white people. This industry has become a white space because it has been appropriated to manage the white race. For example, Motown was a type of music and space where African Americans could take ownership of their talent without having to change or alter their music. We can also see colorblind racism within award shows such as the Grammys and Oscars. There have been times where artists such as Travis Scott, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar are nominated for many awards but don’t win. Beyoncé Lemonade lost to Adele’s album, and Travis Scotts Astroworld didn’t win anything at the Grammy’s. That comes down to who is in control of the hip-hop industry and the people who are in charge of voting for winners at the Grammys and things like that they are usually old white men. To understand this industry for what it truly is disappointing because it means that the entertainment industry is just a façade for another white space.
After looking at the music industry, we turned to fashion and how that was even worse. But when dealing with the fashion industry, cultural appropriation seems to be loosely used. Since fashion designers come from all parts of the world, we posed the question to the class, where should the line be drawn in fashion when it comes to cultural appropriation? I got many interesting answers, but I also realized that cultural appropriation could be used differently depending on the person. Something could seem like cultural appropriation for you but may be seen as an ordinary outfit to me. So, I think this term can change based on the individual.
After talking about the readings and discussing, we then had the class stand up and move to either side of the room. If they agreed they went by the door if you disagreed, you went by the cabinets, and if they were in-between, they stood in the middle. With this game, we would ask questions to the class, and they move to whichever side. Then we would pick on someone to explain why they are on the side they are on. This activity required students to participate and discuss, which I thought was great because then we would hear many different viewpoints. In the end, Sophie and I ran out of time, but I was wondering if the kids in the class had a different take on cultural appropriation or were the same as when they walked in. Also, I wish we were able to have them all individually come up with a definition of what cultural appropriation meant to them, but we didn’t have time. Overall, this topic was fascinating, and I learned a lot about the entertainment industry that I didn’t know.

Crook County is a novel that touches on topics that are problematic within the criminal justice system. This book, written by Nicole Gonzalez van Cleve is a piece of literature the dives deep into the criminal justice system and the hidden flaws that encompass it. The book discusses how the system is one that strips people of color, specifically black men, of their rights and humanity. In the book, Van Cleve also gives detail about the prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges. She explains their positions within the system and how they impact the outcome of many people that are stuck in crook county. The author also breaks down the roles of private defenders versus public defenders and how they interact with their clients. Overall, Crook County assessed the justice system and the ways that it racializes people of color. It examines how criminal attorneys and judges are the ones who determine a man’s freedom versus another man’s imprisonment.

The conversation Abby and I had with the class focused on racism within the system and how that impacts communities of people. First, we showed a video by The Atlantic. This 5-minute film summarized how the criminal justice system is no longer incarcerating the individual; instead, the system is incarcerating social groups. The leading social group spoken about in the video is the African American community. The footage looked at how a lack of schooling increases a black man’s chances of becoming incarcerated. The video also touches on how mass incarceration can be seen as a generational thing.  After watching this video Abby and I were able to look at the criminal justice system from a broader perspective. Looked at how slavery transformed into modern-day mass incarceration for the black community.

After discussing the video with the class, we dove right into colorblind racism and how public and private defenders use it. In chapter 3, the author thoroughly examined public and private defenders. So, in our presentation, we did the same. We explained that public and private defenders have a drastic difference in opinion due to the difference in their clients. The public defender has low income, indigent clients vs. The private attorney who can choose their clients of a more middle class/upper-class status would influence the way they see their clients treated in the court system.  After we examined their roles, we then talked about the stereotypes that are heavily used within the court system. After assessing all parts of the court system from clients to attorneys from judges to the police, we then asked the question where does this all start? Abby and I thought about this question a lot, and we decided that racism within the courtroom is something that is an adaptation when entering in this particular field of law. We first looked at law school and realized that when you are in law school, no one ever teaches you to discriminate, stereotype, and racialize a specific group of people. Instead, law schools teach you to treat people equally and that everyone is equal under the law. They also engrave in your mind that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. With this understanding, we could only conclude that the criminal justice system causes one to adapt and change their ways and views that would accommodate what’s accepted within the justice system. What you learned in law school doesn’t apply when entering the toxic environment of criminal law.

In our presentation, we discussed themes such as Inheritance of the Ghetto, the White Space, and No Place on the Corner. We discussed how the iconic ghetto is something that is continuously mapped onto black bodies no matter what. At the end of our presentation, we looked at how a minority space can still be a white space. This shows that society continues to favor the white man while negatively impacting people of color.

Overall, I think our presentation went well with the class. At some points, we had to force students to participate in the discussion. But, when they engaged in the conversation, many good points were made. In the end, this presentation gave me more knowledge about how messed up our criminal justice system is. Reading and analyzing this book showed me how people of color are at a disadvantage in a system that is supposed to treat you as innocent before your guilty. But, when you are POC, specifically black men, then you are seen as guilty before innocent.