This story of a librarian resigning from Smith College has gone viral, with many strong reactions. I'll once again caution everyone against taking a partial account and plugging it into preconceived culture war narratives, and otherwise offer no opinion.
Except for one thing.
1/x
Except for one thing.
1/x
https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1362883819808772098
If you have a positive or negative opinion about librarian Jodi Shaw's letter, racial sensitivity training, the way @bariweiss presented the story, etc., up to you.
But one thing stood out to me: the focus on Shaw wanting to rap in a presentation for students & being told no.
2/x
But one thing stood out to me: the focus on Shaw wanting to rap in a presentation for students & being told no.
2/x
Making jokes that imagine a librarian awkwardly rapping? By all means.
But I've seen quite a few claims that Shaw rapping would be racist because she's white.
Really? It's 2021! Black Americans originated hip hop, but it's long since become a global artform. It's music!
3/x
But I've seen quite a few claims that Shaw rapping would be racist because she's white.
Really? It's 2021! Black Americans originated hip hop, but it's long since become a global artform. It's music!
3/x
A list of best MCs would be predominantly African American, but there are rappers of all types all around the world. And this isn't at all new.
Big Pun is Puerto Rican, the Beastie Boys are Jewish, Eminem is white, MIA is South Asian, Cardi B is Caribbean. So many variations.
4/x
Big Pun is Puerto Rican, the Beastie Boys are Jewish, Eminem is white, MIA is South Asian, Cardi B is Caribbean. So many variations.
4/x
White women specifically: Gwen Stefani rapped, Taylor Swift rapped, and so on.
Are those tracks good? I wouldn't say so, you may differ, but they're not racist.
If there's inherent humor in Shaw trying to rap in a presentation, it's more uncool adult awkwardness than her race
5/x
Are those tracks good? I wouldn't say so, you may differ, but they're not racist.
If there's inherent humor in Shaw trying to rap in a presentation, it's more uncool adult awkwardness than her race
5/x
Music crossing cultures, getting remixed and adapted in all sorts of ways is wonderful.
The Beatles can use sitar, Yo Yo Ma can play Dvorak, Lil Nas X can do country, Eminem can rap, PSY can make Gangnam Style, and so much more.
The results vary, of course, but some is great.
6/x
The Beatles can use sitar, Yo Yo Ma can play Dvorak, Lil Nas X can do country, Eminem can rap, PSY can make Gangnam Style, and so much more.
The results vary, of course, but some is great.
6/x
A hard no on white people using the n-word, even when singing along to songs, as @rasmansa argues in this article? That's a strong position.
A white woman can't rap because that's inherently racist? No, that's absurd.
7/x
arcdigital.media/who-gets-to-be…
7/x
A white woman can't rap because that's inherently racist? No, that's absurd.
7/x
arcdigital.media/who-gets-to-be…
7/x
Hip hop is deeply embedded in culture and has been for a while. It's influenced tons of music, and appears in all sorts of things.
To pick one of many examples, this superhero movie pitched at kids has characters introducing themselves with a goofy rap
8/x
To pick one of many examples, this superhero movie pitched at kids has characters introducing themselves with a goofy rap
8/x
So go ahead, have opinions about the Shaw case, make librarian rapping jokes, whatever.
But if we adapt a standard that music belongs entirely and exclusively to the race of whoever invented it, and others can't try the form without being racist, the world be a worse place.
(END)
But if we adapt a standard that music belongs entirely and exclusively to the race of whoever invented it, and others can't try the form without being racist, the world be a worse place.
(END)
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