Kyle Mays, who teaches at the African American Studies Department and the Native American Center at UCLA, says Hip Hop “builds solidarity between the two communities,” which share a complex history of slavery, displacement and state violence. Mays is author of the book, Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes: Modernity and Hip Hop in North America.Water rights and climate change are connected with larger political empowerment issues. “We need to somehow deal with the issue of returning land to native peoples,” said Mays, who is of Black and Native American ancestry.
John McCain’s death triggered mass media regurgitations of Vietnam-era imperial racism and just plain idiocy, but also reminded us of those who risked everything to stop the war.
Boots Riley says Spike Lee’s new movie is propaganda designed to make police look like allies in the fight against racial oppression.
Memphis cops blatantly flaunt their targeting of Black activists, despite a judge’s ruling that the cops have violated a federal consent decree by continuing political surveillance.
At root, striking prisoners demand they be treated as human beings; the rest of their demands flow logically from recognition of their humanity.
This book asks readers ‘to follow Ezili’s lead by imagining worlds in which black women, black queer folk, masisi…ev’ry body has value—ev’ry black body is a divine gift.’”
