Publisher Description

From youth violence, to the impact of high stakes educational testing, to editorial hand wringing over the moral failures of
hip-hop culture, young people of color are often portrayed as gang affiliated, "troubled," and ultimately, dangerous. The Hip-Hop Generation Fights Back examines how youth activism has emerged to address the persistent inequalities that affect urban youth of color. Andreana Clay provides a detailed account of the strategies that youth activists use to frame their social justice agendas and organize in their local communities.
Based on two years of fieldwork with youth affiliated with two non-profit organizations in Oakland, California, The Hip-Hop Generation Fights Back shows how youth integrate the history of social movement activism of the 1960s, popular culture strategies like hip-hop and spoken word, as well as their experiences in the contemporary urban landscape, to mobilize their peers. Ultimately, Clay's comparison of the two youth organizations and their participants expands our understandings of youth culture, social movements, popular culture, and race and ethnic relations.

Notes

Shows how youth integrate the history of social movement activism of the 1960s, popular culture strategies like hip-hop and spoken word, as well as their experiences in the contemporary urban landscape, to mobilize their peers

Author Biography

Andreana Clay is Associate Professor of Sociology at San Francisco State University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii 1. Youth Crisis, Rebellion, and Identity 1 2. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize The Contemporary Struggle 23 3. It's Gonna Get Hard Negotiating Race and Gender in Urban Settings 55 4. Hip-Hop for the Soul Kickin' Reality in the Local Scene 91 5. Queer Youth Act Up Tackling Homophobia Post-Stonewall 121 6. Big Shoes to Fill Activism Past and Present 153 7. Conclusion Sampling Activism 181 Appendix 191 Notes 199 Bibliography 215 Index 223 About the Author 230

Review

"Andreana Clay's insightful study of activism among youth of color masterfully shows the ways that teenagers are politically active in their schools and communities. A profoundly optimistic book, The Hip-Hop Generation Fights Back provides a fascinating glimpse of the optimism and resilience of the next generation of leaders who are essential to America's future." Patricia Hill Collins, author of From Black Power to Hip Hop

Promotional

Shows how youth integrate the history of social movement activism of the 1960s, popular culture strategies like hip-hop and spoken word, as well as their experiences in the contemporary urban landscape, to mobilize their peers

Long Description

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Review Quote

"[W]ell designed and deftly executed... Andreana Clay's fine study asks and answersimportant questions by drawing evidence and ideas from the imagination and insights of young people struggling to survive and thrive in a society that has largely abandoned them. Clay has chosen to write a book that is not merely a chronicle of oppressed

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