Feminism is work that men and women have to do together, Joan Morgan, self-titled hip-hop feminist, said in a forum on hip-hop and feminism Wednesday night in the Hodges Library Auditorium. The lecture was the first of a two-part series sponsored by African-American Studies and hosted by UT professors George White and David Ikard.
Morgan was joined by Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of African-American Studies at Duke University. Both speakers grew up in South Bronx, N.Y., and now work with hip-hop.
Morgan is a hip-hop journalist, writer and former editor of Essence magazine. Neal works in the academic realm, teaching college students about the history and impact of hip-hop music.
“We are those post-civil rights kids that made it out of the hood,” Morgan said.
Morgan’s latest book, “When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost,” details the struggle to break female stereotypes in black culture.
“There were no hip-hop journalists when I started,” Morgan said. “There was nothing glamorous about covering rap artists.”
Morgan called hip-hop relentlessly sexist and misogynist, but added that she was compelled to appreciate the music. She also said the artists should be held accountable for the way they present the message.
“Hip-hop has always been the voice of those who have not had a voice,” Morgan said. Neal describes his work as trying to define “what hip-hop looks like when it becomes grown folks’ business.”
Neal said hip-hop has given a voice to black culture which allows them to tackle stereotypes, homophobia and the challenges of daily life.
“Hip-hop provides a language to discuss issues in the black community,” he said.
Neal said he agreed with Morgan about holding hip-hop artists accountable.
“There is a fine line between the objectivity of black female sexuality and appreciating it,” Neal said.
Neal would like to create a new space for black feminine voices and completely disrupt black stereotypes, he said.
Morgan said she would like to see more hip-hop videos that portray women as mutual sexual partners instead of sexual servants to the artists.
The forum on hip-hop and feminism filled Hodges Library Auditorium and extra chairs were brought in to accommodate the crowd. Several students were eager to ask the speakers questions about how to redefine feminism for a new generation and forming a coalition between black and white feminists.
Following the forum, was an informal book signing by both artists. Neal recently published “New Black Man” to discuss what he calls a “crisis among black men.”
Last night, Morgan and Neal joined several UT faculty members for a roundtable discussion in the Heritage Room of the University Center.
