FREEDOM FRIDAYS- The Demasculinization Of America

Nigger/Bitch: An exploration of the terms, the cultural connotations of these terms, their connection to White Supremacy and finally a plan to combat their popular use.

Misogyny, Exploitation of Women: An investigation into the patriarchal and white male dominated music industry and their historical view of women in general and Black Women in particular, the current images of Black Women in Entertainment (Film/TV/Music/Videos, etc), the Historical context of the exploitation of Black Women Rape, Breeding, Slavery, Hottentot Venus, the Historical images of the Black Woman as mammy, jemima, vixen, jezebel. The hyper sexualization of the Black Woman.

Dehumanization and Demasculinization of the Black Male: The Dehumanizing image of the Black Man as a Thug or Gangsta, unfeeling and unemotional, cold blooded killer, absentee father, baby daddy and sexually unbridled are all parallels to the Historically negative images of the Black Man as savage, boogey man, coon, black buck run amuck, and Mandingo. If the Black Man is not dismissed as invalid by his projected uncontrollability and violent nature then he is made unthreatening by a softening process which parallels Black Male Castration. This Demasculinization of the Black Male is why most conscious or intelligent rappers are often ‘softer’ or become so after time. This is part of Acceptability and Mainstream Appeal Ex: The Bohemian projection of Common Sense, the friendly boy next door and non threatening projection of Mos Def, the clothes and hair and metamorphosis of Andre 3000. We can see this more clearly displayed in R&B where there is a certain level of Androgyny and Racial Ambiguity where artists become neither Black nor White nor Man nor Woman Ex: Michael Jackson, El DeBarge, Prince, Cisco.