Amanda Schmitt
ENG 1000C
Professor Murray
2nd Essay
Have you ever looked at someone and saw the color or his or her skin? Everyone
in the world is different. Whether it be the color of their eyes, the color of their hair, the
way they dress, and even the color of their skin. Segregation has ended through laws but
not thought society. Racism is still very much alive. When not exposed to people of
different races or taught to not associate with people of a different culture that is all some
children may know. This causes an increase in violence or verbal abuse. Racism is not a
natural instinct it is learned or taught to people around the world throughout the years in
society. Everyone has different views on different people. The color of someone’s skin
should not affect your relationship towards him or her. Yes, racism has decreased, but
we all know that it is still very affective. You can still hear those nasty comments going
around, and you can see people still being segregated. This is where the violence steps
come into the picture. Because of the nasty remarks these segregated people have to go
through, fistfights start to occur. Just think if nobody cared about the color of someone’s
skin things would be so much easier. Racism has caused unnecessary violence that has
lead to death.
Everyone is criminal of being prejudice. When you break down the word
prejudice you get pre and judice. Pre mean before and judice means judge so the word
prejudice means pre judge or pre judging. When you look at someone and critique what
he or she are wearing or how he or she have their hair you’re judging them. You may say
that just by the facial expressions a person makes means that they are a certain type of
person, but you won’t truly know who that person is or what they can offer just by
looking at them. The difference between being prejudice and being racist is a prejudice
person makes a pre judged decision and then gets to know the person and then decides if
they like them or not. A racist doesn’t like a person because of the color of their skin and
has no intention of getting to know the person or how they really are not just how they
look. They can’t look past the color of someone’s skin.
Racism has caused much harm on others. Not only the verbal abuse but as well as
physical abuse. Music is a key factor for the verbal abuse. Many rap, r & b and hip hop
songs use words that may be hurtful to others. These songs not only play on the radio but
also are accessible through the Internet, and can be seen on television. The music videos
that can be seen on television often show rappers smoking and surrounded by half naked
women. Some of the songs that are played on the radio have a hidden message; some
aren’t so discrete. Many rap songs use the N word, which to many African American’s is
insulting when, said by others. People in today’s world use this word to freely. They say
it without care; they aren’t concerned with who is around them to hear it. Some people
will be listening to this music and not realize who they are around and how it might effect
them. The use of words such as cracker, gook, gringo, heeb, hick, kyke, mick, oreo,
redneck, spic, and wop are insulting racial slurs that should not be used towards another
person.
Violence can also be associated with racism. When other decide to start using
racial slurs they have the intention to insult the person it is geared towards. The victim of
the verbal abuse for the most part will not just ignore it and walk away. They stand up
for themselves. This may cause a physical fight or a verbal argument that is in the long
term pointless and not needed. Last year seven teenagers went out in the Patchogue-
Medford area looking for what they called it “beaner hopping.” These teens approached
two Latino men and started calling them ethnic slurs. They started beating the men, one
of the teens said that he had stabbed one of the men. His friends told him he had to get
rid of the knife. One teen took the mans hat as a trophy to show his friends.
Earlier this year singer Chris Brown was arrested for beating his then girlfriend
Rihanna. The same night rapper Lil Wayne was nominated for four Grammy’s winning
three. He won Best Rap Album- The Cater III, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or
Group- T.I feat Kanye West and Lil Wayne “Swagger Like Us”, and Best Rap Song- “
Lollipop.” In the song Lollipop Wayne talks of girl licking his lollipop, and the “ fun and
games of oral sex.” Lil Wayne makes it known how he views women. In another song
he says “ I ain’t got loves for broads, I grab them on they butts and all.” These songs are
listened to by millions of children around the world. Mainstream Time magazine named
Lil Wayne the Best Rapper Alive. On October 22nd 2009 Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Cater
pleaded guilty to weapon possession. He will be awaiting a year sentence in jail. This is
someone many children look up to. They love his music and admire him. And now he is
going to jail. What example is he for children? He is saying it is ok to call women sluts
and bitches and that carrying weapons is ok. In January 2008 Lil Wayne was arrested at
a US Border Patrol for possession of drugs. This hasn’t seemed to stop Wayne from his
career, he was on the recent No. 1 song in the country with Jay Sean for “Down.” No
matter how many times these rappers are caught doing illegal or inhumane things they get
to jail and come out worse then before and have no remorse. They are taught to drop out
of school, that crime pays and that their inability to succeed is someone else’s fault.
“The relationship between chronicling crime and living it has long been an issue
in rap. Some of the genre’s big names — including Tupac Shakur, Lil’ Kim, Beanie
Sigel, Shyne, Mystikal and C-Murder — have done a few months to several years behind
bars for crimes committed after they became famous.”
Rap music is promoting mistreatment of human beings. Rappers rap about
fighting, killing, beating others. Music companies promote these types of songs; they
don’t promote songs that may inform listeners of HIV/AIDS epidemic. Children are
listening to songs about sex, and not knowing the risks that come along with it. Major
themes of rap songs contain drugs, guns, death and destruction. In rapper Ice Cubes
song “ Death Certificate” he says “ Oriental one--- penny motherf**kers… Pa respect to
the black fist/ Or we’ll burn your store right down to crisp.” This was the exact attitude
of blacks in Los Angeles towards Korean merchants. The blacks in the neighborhood
were angry that the merchants only saw them as customers or robbers, never as people.
Due to the verdict of the Rodney King case many blacks were angry by the acts of
officers. This lead to riots and violent outbreaks in Los Angeles. The man Don
Jackson who videotaped the vicious attack police did to Mr. King was pushed head first
through a plate glass window three years later. Before the King case many journalists
reporting about the inner cities violence were from black reporters because white people
didn’t care that much because it didn’t effect them because they didn’t live in that
neighborhood. But after the cases verdict rioters started attacking all journalists no
matter their color. If the media didn’t care enough about them before this incident who
would care now? Or better yet who would try to help stop it? This caused the people of
Los Angeles to lose trust in the media for not telling the whole story and for neglecting
communities where violence is most likely to occur.
“The White establishment is applauding this behavior by elevating the thug music
that glorifies killing, maiming and abuse to great fortunes. After all, the thugs are only
killing Black men and abusing Black women. What a great victory for White
supremacists who no longer need the KKK.”
-Barbara Reynolds
Homicide is the leading cause of death in black males ranging from ages
18 to 24. Fellow black men murder 94 percent of blacks murdered. The degrading
lyrics in rap songs are geared towards women. Black women are 35 percent more likely
to be sexually and physically assaulted than white women. At the age 18 one in four
girls are at risk of being rapped. Every 45 seconds a woman is physically assaulted,
according to National Victims Center. Rappers are no different then 19th century white
slave masters who paraded half naked black women to the public. The self-esteem
levels of many young black women have fallen. Many only see themselves as half nude
butt-shaking objects, which can be sold for group sex, drugs or background for videos.
This is how they are portrayed in many music videos and in songs lyrics. If others see
them as being thing and not as human being then how else should they see themselves?
These lyrics offend their own mothers, possible daughters or sisters. The very women
that gave birth to you. Females are seen as sex toys. Being called bitches, hoes, and
sluts in many songs. This is the message being give to young children. Is this how they
should refer to women because their role models are doing it.
Rapper and activist David Banner is teaming up with fellow rappers
Twista, Rhymefest and Naledge teamed up on a song called “ Something’s Wrong.”
This songs lyrics talk about the community violence that is going on and nothing is
being done to stop it. The chorus is “ they know something’s wrong, but won’t no body
say it, I’ll put it on a record, but will anyone play it?” This song is a message to the
listeners that not all songs have to be about drugs, sex and women. It gives awareness to
the violence going on in communities that we may not hear about. Nothing is being
done about this violence. Banner founded Heal the Hood foundation that supports inner-
city issues. “ Why is everything on rappers or football or basketball players? They have
money, but what about city officials, governors and corporations? Where is their
responsibility?”
What has to be done to stop the violence? Who needs to be contacted to
end this portrait rappers are painting for the youth? Activists Rhymefest and Banner feel
that these violent crimes need to be made aware of. “Kids are getting knocked in the
heads with sticks, so we have to start realizing it’s more than about self” Rhymefest goes
on to say. Author of “The Observer”, Dr. Barbara Reynolds thinks that black
establishment groups need to protest rappers like Lil Wayne, T.I and Chris Brown.
They not only talk about the physical abuse they have committed on others but have
shown society the illegal things they have done and are doing the time for it. White
corporations are fueling the fire paying for the song and dance of theses rappers. By
monitoring the music your child is listening to is a great start to end this epidemic.
Children need positive role models in their lives, not role models who degrade women,
do drugs and are involved in fights.
Works Cited:
o Edelman, Marian Wright. "Fighting the culture battle
for our children's future." Chicago Defender (2007): n.
pag. Web. 10 Dec 2009.
.
o Reynolds, Barbara. "Rap Music Breeds Death and
Abuse." Sacramento Observer (2009): n. pag. Web. 10
Dec 2009.
o Kyles, Kyra. "Artists get pulse on cit y violence."
Chicago Times (2009): n. pag. Web. 10 Dec 2009.
o Jackson, Harold. "We weren't listening." Nieman
Reports (1990/2000): n. pag. Web. 10 Dec 2009.