CFP: Examining Race in the 21st Century at Monmouth University

THEME: Examining Race in the 21st Century

DATE: Thursday, November 11 – Saturday, November 13, 2010

VENUE: Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ

The idea of race continues to be controversial. In spite of different historical developments in various parts of the world, the meaning of race and its significance remains an open issue.

Some of the questions this conference will address are:

Why do the issues that surround race continue to be important?
Is race a useful construct?
How are systems of racial classification and identity manifested in social institutions and relationships?

We seek individual papers, panels, workshops, and posters that can include but are not restricted to the following topics:

Race and identity in different cultures
Race, gender, ethnicity, color, and class
Race in the Obama era
Race and diversity in higher education
The concept of post-racialism in history and society
Race and popular culture
Race and urbanization
Race change[s]: Racial formation, then and now
Race and identity in local and global perspective
Race, continuity, and change
Implications of racial discourse
Race and ethnicity: similarities and differences
Race and power
Race, Gender, Class
Race and Labor
Race in Politics

Confirmed Speakers:

Dr. Robin D.G. Kelley (Keynote)
Professor of History and American Studies
Associate Director, Center for Diversity and Democracy
Department of Ethnic Studies and History
University of Southern California (USC)
Los Angeles, California

Dr. Isar P. Godreau
Researcher and Director
Institute for Interdisciplinary Research
University of Puerto Rico, Cayey
Puerto Rico

Dr. Paul Finkelman
Professor
President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy
Senior Fellow, Government Law Center
Albany Law School
Albany, New York

Dr. Irene Silverblatt
Professor
Department of Cultural Anthropology
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Dr. Rogers Smith
Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science
Chair, Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism
Department of Political Science
University of Pennsylvania
College Park, Pennsylvania

Others-TBA

Please send 250 word abstracts to secondbiennialraceconf@gmail.com Please visit the website at www.monmouth.edu/race/ often for further updates.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Hettie V. Williams, Lecturer, African American History, Department of History and Anthropology, hwilliam@monmouth.edu
Or
Dr. Catherine Duckett, Associate Dean, School of Science, at cduckett@monmouth.edu.


-- Nick J. Sciullo

CFP: Emerging Paradigms in Critical Mixed Race Studies at DePaul University

“Emerging Paradigms in Critical Mixed Race Studies,” the first annual Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference, will be held at DePaul University in Chicago on November 5-6, 2010.

The CMRS conference brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines nationwide. Recognizing that the diverse disciplines that have nurtured Mixed Race Studies have reached a watershed moment, the 2010 CMRS conference is devoted to the general theme “Emerging Paradigms in Critical Mixed Race Studies.”

Critical Mixed Race Studies (CMRS) is the transracial, transdisciplinary, and transnational critical analysis of the institutionalization of social, cultural, and political orders based on dominant conceptions of race. CMRS emphasizes the mutability of race and the porosity of racial boundaries in order to critique processes of racialization and social stratification based on race. CMRS addresses local and global systemic injustices rooted in systems of racialization.

Call for Papers - deadline May 7, 2010


http://las.depaul.edu/aas/About/CMRSConference/CallForPapers.asp

The 2010 CMRS is organized by Camilla Fojas and Laura Kina (DePaul University) and Wei Ming Dariotis (San Francisco State University) and is sponsored by DePaul University Global Asian Studies (formerly Asian American Studies) and Latin American and Latino Studies and co-sponsored by the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, the MAVIN Foundation, and DePaul's Cultural Center, African Black Diaspora Studies and American Studies.

All queries should be directed to the conference chairs: cmrs@depaul.edu or 773-325-4048.

The conference is free and open to the public but we do ask that you preregister at:
http://condor.depaul.edu/~aas/CMRSconference/.


-- Nick J. Sciullo

Hip Hop as a Military Crime?

Specialist Marc Hall, a soldier in the 3rd Infantry Division, was jailed in December 2009 for writing and recording a hip-hop song that allegedly made threatening comments in connection with his commanding officers. The song, entitled “Stop-Loss,” what the military terms its policy of holding service members past their contracted enlistment dates, included the lyrics "round up all eventually, easily, walk right up peacefully" and rhymes "up against the wall, turn around . . . Ready to fire down, spray and watch the bodies all hit the floor." The Army interpreted these lyrics as veiled threats, jailed Hall and intended to court martial him.

"Until April 17, US Army Spc. Marc Hall sat in a military brig at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, facing an imminent court-martial for challenging the US military’s stop-loss policy in a song. Saturday morning, Spc. Hall was granted a discharge by the military." The decision to arrest Hall was curious from the beginning as the arrest was carried out more than five months after Hall mailed a copy of the song to the Pentagon and shared the music with his unit. The military has commented on the case, saying “If a threat is communicated, it needs to be taken seriously.”

The case not only raises questions about freedom of speech but also the military’s treatment of what it deems potentially dangerous soldiers particularly after the tragic shootings by Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood in November 2009. Jim Klimanski, a civilian military lawyer argues that the song, rather than a threat to his commanding officers, is “political hyperbole” and describes the song as “his rant on stop-loss. It's political speech."

The song, which contains graphic lyrics, can be heard here.

R.I.P. Guru. R.I.P. GangStarr?

On Monday, April 19th, Guru, one of the truly talented MCs of all time, passed away after a long battle with cancer. He will, of course, be missed as an individual artist, but most of us were introduced to him as part of GangStarr, the group he performed in with DJ Premier for almost 15 years. The two parted ways, apparently acrimoniously, in 2003, after which Guru released a number of jazz/hip-hop fusion albums and then began collaborating with MC Solar. In a letter to his fans released after his death, Guru indicated a desire that Premier have nothing to do with any future use of Guru’s name or likeness, and he called himself the “sole founder of GangStarr.” According to the letter, Guru instructed his lawyers to allow only Solar to exploit his work. AllHipHop.com reported on Guru’s untimely passing and deathbed wishes: http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/04/20/22177912.aspx

For both lawyers and hip-hop fans, the Guru letter raises interesting questions. Putting aside technical questions about whether the letter accomplishes Guru’s legal purpose, to what extent do we want one member of a duo or group to restrict other members from using the work or image that was developed collaboratively? In a state that recognizes a post-mortem right of publicity, Guru’s heirs can limit Premier’s exploitation of Guru as an individual. But if Premier is a joint author of any copyrighted works developed by Gangstarr, or co-owner of any trademarks or other property of the duo, will Guru’s attorneys be able to give effect to his wishes? More importantly, in a creative community where collaborations create some of the richest music, and where beefs and splits are common, do we want any member to have veto power over the creative product, possibly limiting all of our enjoyment in it? Think of splits over the years between members of major groups such as EPMD and Eric B & Rakim, or, more recently, Dipset.

Guru dies; The loss of a legend

Guru passed away yesterday, the victim of cancer. Although many new hip-hop heads might not remember Guru of Gangstarr fame, Guru worked for years with many of the world's greatest artists producing a soulful and passionate hip-hop. Guru's exciting belnd of Hip-Hop and Jazz created the storied Jazzmatazz series. These four CDs contained guest appearences by Donell Jones, Angie Stone, Bilal, Craig David, Issac Hayes, The Roots, Damian Marley, Roy Ayers, Branford Marsalis, and more.

My favorite Guru product was "No More" featuring Craig David. Although many in the hip-hop community seemed to think Guru had fallen off from his earlier success, I remian convinced that some of his greatest work was with newer neo-soul artists. This record used to be a hit on my turntables and I even incorporated it into a song on my first mixtape. Also check out Guru's guest appearence on "Johnny Was" from Chant Down Babylon.






Guru released the following letter to fans:

I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.

I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.

My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody's feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.

I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.

-- Nick J. Sciullo

Feed Your Mind: Hip-Hop Books for 2010

This is a somewhat complete list of books that might help readers as they pursue hip-hop study that have been published to date. If you've come across other books, post them in the comments. And, if you've read some of these books, post your reviews below as well.

How to Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop, The Machine Speaks by Dave Tompkins
336 pages, Melville House, ISBN-13: 978-1933633886

Raw Law: Don Diva's Hip-Hop Guide to Criminal Justice by Muhammad Ibn Bashir, Esq.
256 pages, Grand Central Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-0446509350

City Kid: A Writer's Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success by Nelson George
288 pages, Plume, ISBN-13: 978-0452296046

Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation by Christopher Emdin
142 pages, Sense Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-9087909864

Hip Hop is Not Our Enemy: From A Preacher Who Keeps It Real by Dr. Kenneth T. Walum, Jr.
184 pages, AuthorHouse, ISBN-13: 978-1449074241

Tupac Shakur: The Life and Times of an American Icon by Tayannah Lee McQuillar
288 pages, Da Capo Press, ISBN-13: 978-1568583877

Political Poetry as Discourse: Rereading John Greenleaf Whittier, Ebenezer Elliott, and Hiphopology by Angela Michelle Leonard
374 pages, Lexington Books, ISBN-13: 978-0739122846

Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison? by Demico Boothe
160 pages, Full Surface Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-1425713973

Post Black: How a New Generation Is Redefining African American Identity by Ytasha L. Womack
224 pages, Lawrence Hill Books, ISBN-13: 978-1556528057

-- Nick J. Sciullo

Hip Hop and Law School Admissions?

At the Veritas Prep Blog, last month was “Hip Hip Month” which included a post on how hip hop can help law students in the admissions process. The post describes how “introspection, emotion, and brutal honesty” are qualities that elevate hip hop and these are the qualities of winning personal statements. These qualities are what makes hip hop memorable and relevant and cause people to become invested in it – exactly the reaction a potential law student wants to see from the person reading their personal statement.

Directly from the Veritas Prep Blog:

"By now, you HAVE to be wondering: what can you, the law school applicant, possibly learn from a rapper?

It's pretty simple, actually: what you can learn is how to tell a story. Rappers - the good ones at least - are ultimately storytellers. The hip hop album generally considered to be the best ever recorded - Nas' Illmatic - is basically a spoken word version of his life's journal. The late great Tupac Shakur transitioned easily from "gangsta rap" to books of poetry and back again. These guys gave us tales of their life, made the words rhyme, and put it all over produced beats and sounds. That was their way of telling a story within the confines of a particular form.

Law school applicants also have the challenge of telling their unique story within the confines of a form . . . the personal statement."

The post can be found here.

Call for Papers: Civil Rights, Social Justice, and the Midwest

Civil Rights, Social Justice, and the Midwest
THE SOCIETY FOR UTOPIAN STUDIES 35th Annual Meeting
Hilton Milwaukee City Center
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
October 28-31, 2010


Milwaukee in the 1960s and 1970s was a key site for civil rights marches, particularly around the open housing movement. From 1897 through much of the 20th Century, the city was governed by a succession of Socialist mayors, elected on their platform of practical, "sewer socialism." And Wisconsin itself and its Midwestern neighbors have long been home to experiments inintentional community.

We encourage papers, panels, presentations and performances on literary, political, social, and architectural aspects of the civil rights struggle, intentional communities, and practical socialism with a Midwestern focus for the 2010 conference. We also welcome papers on other aspects of the utopian tradition - from the earliest utopian visions to the utopian speculations and yearnings of the 21st century, including art, architecture, urban and rural planning, literary utopias, dystopian writings, utopian political activism, theories of utopian spaces and ontologies, music, new media, or intentional communities.

* * *

Milwaukee has a rich array of museums, restaurants, theaters, parks, and universities for conference attendees to visit. The city boasts the first U.S. commission by Santiago Calatrava, at the world-class Milwaukee Art Museum; Frank Lloyd Wright buildings; an excellent opera company; microbreweries galore; award-winning chefs; 19th Century beer baron mansions; Lake Michigan, and more.

Please send a 100-250 word abstract by June 1, 2010 to:

Brian Greenspan
Department of English
1812 Dunton Tower
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6

Or e-mail submissions to: brian_greenspan@carleton.ca (please put "sus submission" in the subject line). As you submit your abstract, please indicate if you have any scheduling restrictions, audiovisual needs (overhead projector; DVD/VHS player), special needs, or a need for a written letter of acceptance of your proposal.

For information about registration, travel or accommodations, please contact the Conference Coordinator, Peter Sands, at: sands@UWM.EDU


-- Nick J. Sciullo

Will Pride and Prejudice and Zombies make Hip-Hop and the Law Easier?

Last year's smash hit novel, by Seth Grahame-Smith, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (PPZ) took the literary world by storm with its odd mash-up of traditional English literature retold through a macabre, Twilight-esque lens. The book sold over a million copies and helped secondary school teachers, teach a book, that not many students were apparently embracing. PPZ used 85 percent of Jane Austin's original text and combined it with typical zombie violence. This new re-telling of the classic novel has helped preserve this classic for a new generation.

Mash-ups have long been important for hip-hop. Remixes, guest appearances, the first mixtapes, etc. all produced dramatic effects combining new and old into something if not new than different. Change, innovation, and good 'ol fashioned rabble-rousing have been a constant part of the ethics of hip-hop for years.

I made the fateful decision to buy Seth Grahame-Smith's new novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I'm no fan of zombies or vampires, or Twilight, or any of the supernatural books and shows that seem to have flooded the consciousness of every pre-teen, teen, and even a startling number of adults. But, I do like history and I do like Lincoln. I've only just begun the book, but I can tell it's going to be a journey.

What does this all mean for hip-hop?

Although the academy has become increasingly interdisciplinary, there continues to be a bias against popular culture. Sure you can find economics here, political science there, philosophy in that corner, and the entire brethren of liberal arts and social science disciplines mashed up with the law, but try and collect a critical mass of law and hip-hop, law and sports, law and television legal dramas, etc. and you're likely to not come up with much. Popular culture seems to have had an easier time in other disciplines, but law likes to eb exclusive, private, even confusing.

Popular culture in many ways is antithetical to law. It is not rigidly structured, not supportive of canonical interpretation, not an exclusive club. Just as most of us thought that Abraham Lincoln and Vampires were antithetical (if in fact the two occupied the same thought). On face, it makes sense that there are not more mash ups of popular culture and the law, but with the recent success of Grahame-Smith's novels, perhaps there is a new acceptance of the unusual.

Imagine retelling the Richard Sander verses the world story as a tale of Tupac vs. Biggie. Or could the collapse of a corporation be compared or told through the lens of the collapse of Bad Boy? Could we fuse Common's lyrics with a retelling of John Rawls's A Theory of Justice? Garrett Hardin's tragedy of the commons and __________?

I'm not saying there's a NYT's bestseller here or a Harvard Law Review article for that matter, but we might be in for some good news with Grahame-Smith's success.

-- Nick J. Sciullo

Lil' Wayne Sentenced

Lil Wayne was sentenced today to a year in jail after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in October 2009 after he admitted to having a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun on his tour bus. His sentencing had been postponed twice previously, once for dental surgery and once last week due to a fire in the courthouse basement. The sentence will apparently be served at Rikers Island without protective custody, and there is a possible early release available after eight months with good behavior.

Lil Wayne used his brief reprieve from sentencing productively, spending the time appearing with Jay-Z at a Madison Square Garden show.

For anyone who is in the New York area this weekend:

Women's History Month Conference
The Message is in the Music:Hip Hop Feminism, Riot Grrrl, Latina Music, and More

Twelfth Annual Women’s History Month Conferenceat Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, New York

Friday & Saturday, March 5 & 6, 2010

Free and open to the public

Keynote speaker: Carmen Ashhurst, former president of Def Jam Recordings and Rush Communications, and author of the forthcoming book, Selling My Brothers: The Movement, The Media and Me

Music has long served social movements as a sound track, as a means of communication, and as its own arena for activism. While multiple generations of feminists have used music in these ways, it has played especially vital roles for those born since the 1970s. This conference will explore the ways in which young feminists have defined and expressed politics through music and musical cultures and communities. Among the questions we will ponder are: How does music reflect sites of agreement and conflict among different groups of feminists? How have movements like Riot Grrrl and Hip Hop feminism attracted young women to feminist activism? How do young feminists’ uses of music compare with those of earlier generations?
View conference schedule»

Dre and Death Row

On February 11th, Dr. Dre brought suit against WIDEawake Death Row Records and its parent companies alleging that Death Row failed to pay him royalties on his album “The Chronic” since 1996 and that the label issued "The Chronic Re-Lit" and a greatest hits collection without his permission or the proper rights. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages of more than $75,000 for several claims, including breach of contract, false advertising, trademark infringement and misappropriation of publicity.

When discussing the suit in Los Angeles Federal Court Dre’s lawyer Howard King told a judge: "When it came to paying artist royalties and honoring limits on Dr. Dre recordings that could be released, the 'new' Death Row Records, to quote our client, 'forgot about Dre.'"

'10 Digital Music Report Says Industry Still Reeling from P2P & New Forms of Infringement

The International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reports in its 2010 Digital Music Report (pdf) that despite hundreds of legit online music offerings (Pandora, Live365 etc.) and higher revenues in 2009, the music industry remains damaged by peer-to-peer file sharing and other forms of online infringement. Conflicting case law internationally, reports the IFPI, is further muddying the waters.

The IFPI has argued for several years that internet service providers (ISPs) "should take more responsibility for policing their networks through a 'graduated response' (or ‘three-strikes and you’re out’) mechanism that includes notices and warning letters to suspected infringers followed by internet access suspension if the first two stages are ineffective." Read more at IP-Watch.org.

Professor Tonya M. Evans
www.ProfTonyaEvans.com

Hip Hop's Languages of Love

My colleague Bridget Crawford recently blogged on Feminist Law Professors about a special issue of Women and Language focused on critical analyses of how hip-hop speaks about love. Check out her post at http://feministlawprofessors.com/?p=14989.

Hip Hop Halftime?

Super Bowl halftime promised to be another old timers affair as "The Who" has been slated by the National Football League to entertain the masses this year. I wonder (along with Scoop Jackson at ESPN) where the flavor is for the halftime show? In a league dominated by athletes of the hip hop generation, how is it that since the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, that we have only been treated to the legends of Rock and Roll at halftime, including the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Paul McCartney? While I understand that Commissioner Roger Goodell is interested in protecting the league from halftime scandal, I believe that the legends of hip hop could perform scandal free just as readily as the Stones, Springsteen, Petty and McCartney. So, where is Run DMC? Queen Latifah? What about Ice Cube, KRS One or Dr. Dre (Prince did get the gig in 2007)?

Further, I am confident that the NFL could comfortably inquire into the availability of Jay-Z, Common, Lauryn Hill or Snoop Dogg and avoid the embarrassment of a wardrobe malfunction moment. After all, the Super Bowl is the most-watched event in the world. Why prop up the careers of aging white artists and leave the true soul of global culture on the sidelines?