Case Study: B;ack Identity - Ithaca University

7/29/2019 Case Study: B;ack Identity - Ithaca University

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MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE LESSON PLAN

UNIT 4: BLACK FREEDOM/CIVIL RIGHTS LESSON 3: SONGS

Case Study: Black Identity

LESSON PLAN

Lesson Objectives: Students will review songs with messages about black identity. Students will recognize the power of words to transmit a message to a listening audience. Students will analyze the use of performance techniques to enhance interest.

Lesson Procedures:1. Present the Lesson Introduction to the class.2. Distribute student worksheetsfor logging the songs.3. Play the songs while students log their answers.4. Lead students through a decoding of the songs using the Media Sample Questions and

Answers.

5. Discuss the power of words and sound to communicate messages in Further Questions.

Vocabulary:

Medgar Evers, Lorriane Hansberry, Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins

Materials Needed: Eight-page Teacher Guide Four song excerpts Four-page student worksheet

Time:50 minutes

Media: Say it Loud, Im Black and Im Proud(1:24) To Be Young, Gifted, and Black(1:38) Living for the City(1:54) The Revolution Will Not Be Televised(1:26)

Audio Clip

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1. Organize and make copies for the class activities.2. Introduce the lesson:

3. Distribute the student worksheets. Have students work individually or in pairs to log each song.4. Read aloud the brief introductory excerpt before playing each song.5. Play the song excerpt.6. Have students write their answers on their worksheet after the playing of each excerpt.7. Lead a discussion of the songs using the suggested teacher answers below as a guide.

MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE TEACHER GUIDEUNIT 4: BLACK FREEDOM/CIVIL RIGHTS LESSON 3: SONGS

Case Study: Black Identity

In the 1960s and 70s, the black freedom movement advanced through culturalexpressions of African American or black identity. These wide-ranging expressions,

including Afro hairstyles, African dashikis, and black power salutes, became a way tomove beyond prior identities as Negro or colored. They helped build new a self-awareness rooted in a pride of African descent and in the consciousness of blackness.Muhammad Ali proclaimed, I am the greatest. Stokely Carmichael called from thespeakers platform, Black is Beautiful. Aretha Franklin sang about respect. Alex Haleywrote the story of the search for his African ancestry in the bestseller Roots, anexploration of his familys struggles to survive through the extraordinary challenges ofslavery, reconstruction, and Jim Crow segregation. The black pride movement was adirect reaction to the crippling legacy of slavery and to centuries of African Americansbeing told in hundreds of different ways that they were inferior to whites.

Popular music was a particular arena in which messages about racial identity could

reverberate throughout the culture. By the early 1970s, the separation between R&B androck music within the music business was dissolving through the crossover appeal ofartists like Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Otis Redding, who performed for mass audiencesof white as well as black listeners. As you listen to these song fragments, consider thechanging cultural context when they were first written and performed. Try to imagine theimpact they might have had in the years immediately following the boycotts and sit-ins ofthe southern freedom movement and during the time of the stirring rhetoric of Malcolm Xand Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Consider the messages about the realities of black life andthe promises and challenges of black pride.

Lesson Introduction

TEACHER GUIDE

Audio Clips


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James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, was a superstar whose songwriting took a turntoward self-awareness of black identity with songs like Blackenized and How YouGonna Get Respect When You Havent Cut Your Process Yet? His number one hit, Sayit Loud, Im Black and Im Proud, includes the voices of thirty children recruited fromthe Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles with payments of ten dollars and a James Brownalbum (Rhodes 49).

Song 1 Introduction

Say it Loud, Im Black and Im ProudJames Brown,1968


Media Sample Questions & Answers

1) What is the songwriters messageabout the realities of AfricanAmerican life in the U.S.? Giveevidence for your answer.

2) What does the songwriterpropose as a means to support

African American life and identity?

3) How do the performer andproducer summon interest in thesubject matter of the song?

Possible Answer: Black peoples mistreatment at the hands ofwhite employers has caused frustration and a determinationfor change summarized in the last line: Were tired ofbeating our heads against the wall and working for someoneelse.

Possible Answer: The song offers an affirmation of blackidentity (Say it loud, Im black and Im proud) coupled with

a determination to press demands for justice (We deserveGet our share Demand a chance do for ourselves.).

Possible Answer:James Brown shouts in his clear andinsistent voice over the pulse of the horns and rhythmsection. The childrens chorus singing, Im black and Improud, follows his lead, Say it Loud, much as a churchchoir might use a call and response form to accentuate amessage.


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Nina Simone, the high priestess of soul, was both a star in the popular music world anda political activist. She wrote songs like Mississippi Goddam when she was twentyyears old to protest the murder of NAACP leader Medgar Evers. Of her struggles tointegrate activism into her music, she said: I have two strikes against me. Im a woman,which is a huge disadvantage in the music business, and Im a black who performsprotest songs. That, of course, has been my choice, because I represent all black peopleof America and the Third World (Swartley 32). Like many other jazz and blues artists,Simone chose to emigrate to France to escape the racism she experienced in the U.S. Thissong was written by Simone in honor of her friend, playwright Lorraine Hansberry, who

was working on a play of this title at the time of her death (Simone 88).

Song 2 Introduction

To Be Young, Gifted, and BlackNina Simone, 1969


1) What is the songwriters messageabout the realities of AfricanAmerican life in the U.S.? Give

evidence for your answer.

2) What does the songwriterpropose as a means to supportAfrican American life and identity?


Possible Answer: Young African Americans have not beenaffirmed in the past as declared in the lines, You are young,gifted, and black / We must begin to tell our young.

Possible Answer: Simone offers affirmation of the power ofbeing young, gifted, and black as repeated in the title line.She recognizes that overcoming sadness requires therecognition of black empowerment for young people, and inthe process reclaiming an intact soul as demonstrated inthe last verse: When you feel really low / Yeah, there's agreat truth that you should know / When you're young,gifted, and black / Your soul's intact.

Possible Answer: Simones lead vocals engage in call andresponse with the background choir as might happen in agospel rendition in church. This gives the song a feel ofcollective power and wisdom. The vocal accentuation of thewords black, where its at, and fact, followed by a briefpause, gives power to these words, making this a statementof declared truth. Simones volume increases slightly as shesings the title line, keeping the main point of the song as thecenterpiece for the listener.


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Stevie Wonder released this song on his album Innervisions. Living for the City stayedat number one on the R&B charts for two weeks and peaked at number eight on the popcharts. The song hit the airwaves two years after Martin Gayes songs Whats GoingOn and Inner City Blues, which explored similar themes. During his 1974 concerttour, Wonder often closed his performances with a live rendition of this song (Griffin94). The first three verses of the song introduce a young man born in hard timeMississippi whose parents give him love and affection / to keep him strong, moving inthe right direction / They give him just enough, just enough, for the city. You will hear

the final part of the song as the young man leaves Mississippi for New York.

Song 3 Introduction

Living for the CityStevie Wonder, 1973




3) How do the performer andproducer summon interest in the

subject matter of the song?

Possible Answer: For migrants to the city, urban lifebrings crime (the hustler sending him across the street),police brutality (Get in that cell, N-----), and theinjustice of the court system (a jury of your peers havingfound you guilty, ten years). For African Americanswalking the streets of New York City, urban life brings

illness (almost dead from breathing in air pollution),political disenfranchisement (He tried to vote but to himtheres no solution), sadness, and cruelty (I hope youhear inside my voice of sorrow / This place is cruelnowhere could be much colder).

Possible Answer: Wonder offers a generic suggestion tomotivate you to make a better tomorrow since if wedon't change the world will soon be over.

Possible Answer: Stevie Wonder uses spoken wordstorytelling in the first part, an uncommon convention in

the years prior to hip-hop, to continue the story of theyoung migrants arrival in New York. Dramatic tension issustained with the presentation of different charactervoices and sound effects (bus acceleration, police sirens,

jail cell door) followed by Wonders strong and raggedvoice and the discord of the background voices.


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Gil Scott-Heron has been considered one of the spoken-word poets who mostinfluenced the hip-hop movement. At the time of the release of his first album in 1970,Scott-Heron wrote: I am a Black man dedicated to expression, expression of the joyand pride of Blackness. I consider myself neither poet, composer, or musician. These aremerely tools used by sensitive men to carve out a piece of beauty or truth that they hopemay lead to peace and salvation (Tesser). Whitney Young of the Urban League and RoyWilkins of the NAACP were civil rights leaders who were sometimes criticized by othersfrom being too moderate in their approach to change.

Song 4 Introduction

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Gil Scott-Heron, 1974





Possible Answer: Black life is marked by policebrutality (pigs shooting down Brothers), pretentiouscivil rights leaders (Whitney Young being run out ofHarlem on a rail with a brand new process and RoyWilkins strolling through Watts in a red, black, andgreen liberation jumpsuit), and invisibility on themainstream media (many examples of televisionprograms, news, musicians, and TV commercialswithout references to black people).

Possible Answer: Scott-Heron suggests the revolutionwill bring hope to black people in the streets,looking for a brighter day and will put you (AfricanAmericans) in the drivers seat.

Possible Answer: Scott-Heron raps in a clear and fastcadence with an insistent flute in the background. Herepeats certain lines for emphasis, drawing listeners in

as he makes his way to the concluding punch line, therevolution will be live.


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FURTHER QUESTIONS


Compare the first two songs with the last two, listening for differences in message andstyle. Discuss how the historical context of the late sixties versus that of the mid-seventies impacted the writing of these songs.

Discuss how black gospel music influenced the style and performance of these songs. Does popular culture reflect the social and cultural identities present within the time

period it is produced? What contemporary songs represent the cultural identities ofAfrican American people today and of youth?

Would you consider any of these songs to be revolutionary in their message today?How about when they were first produced?

Which songs hold up best over time? Which seem old fashioned? Why? Discuss the role of identity politics in social justice movements today. Discuss what Gil Scot-Heron might have meant by his phrase, the revolution will not be

televised.

CONNECTIONSU1 #2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 16, 20; U2 #3, 10, 12, 14, 16; U3 #2, 13, 16, 17, 21; U4 #2, 6, 10, 14,16-18; U5 #3-11; 17-23; U6 #2, 4, 5, 9, 13, 16; U7 #2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11-16; U8 #13-15; U2 L3;U4 L2, U4 L3; U5 L2 U5 L3; U6 L3; U7 L2, U7 L3; U8 L3(Identity)

U1 #10, 11, 16; U2 #14, 17; U3 #16; U4 #3, 5; U5 #8, 20, 21; U6 #9; U7 #16; U8 #13, 16;U1 L2; U2 L2; U4 L2, U4 L3; U5 L2, U5 L3; U7 L2, U7 L3(Youth Audience)U1 #7-9, 12, 14-18, 20; U2 #6-8, 14, 15, 18; U3 #10, 15, 18, 20, 21; U4 #2, 3, 5-14, 16, 17;U5 #7, 8, 16; U6 #7, 10, 15; U1 L2, U1 L3; U2 L2, U2 L3; U3, L2, U3 L3; U4 L2, U4 L3; U7L2(Civil Disobedience & Direct Action)

FURTHER QUESTIONS

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SONG 1

Say it Loud, Im Black and Im Proud Composed and performed by James Brown, 1968

MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE TEACHER GUIDE


Uh, with your bad selfSay it louder (I got a mouth) (2x)

Look a'here, some people say we got a lot ofmaliceSome say it's a lotta nerveI say we won't quit movingTil we get what we deserve

We've been buked and we've been scornedWe've been treated bad, talked aboutAs sure as you're bornBut just as sure as it takeTwo eyes to make a pair, huhBrother, we can't quit until we get our share

Say it loud,I'm black and I'm proud (3x)

I've worked on jobs with my feet and my handsBut all the work I did was for the other manAnd now we demands a chanceTo do things for ourselvesWere tired of beating our heads against the wall

And working for someone else


SONG 2

To Be Young, Gifted, and Black Composed and performed by Nina Simone, 1969

To be young, gifted and black,Oh what a lovely precious dreamTo be young, gifted and black,Open your heart to what I mean

In the whole world you knowThere s a million boys and girlsWho are young, gifted and black,And that's a fact!

You are young, gifted and blackWe must begin to tell our youngTheres a world waiting for youYours is the quest that's just begun

When you feel really lowYeah, there's a great truth that you should knowWhen you're young, gifted and blackYour soul's intact

LYRIC SHEET

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MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE TEACHER GUIDE


SONG 3

Living for the City Composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, 1973

SONG 4

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Written and performed by Gil Scott-Heron, 1974

SPOKEN: Bus going to New York City.Hey, bus driver, Im getting on there, hold it.Wow, New York, just like I pictured it.Skyscrapers, n everything.Hey, hey brother, you look hip, man.You want to make yourself five bucks man?Run this across the street for me right quick.Hey, what? Huh? I didnt know.

Im just going across the street. Whatd I Do?Turn around, put your hands behind your backA jury of your peers having found you guiltyTen years. Cmon, get in that cell n-----, God.

SUNG: His hair is long, his feet are hard andgrittyHe spends his life walking the streets ofNew York CityHe's almost dead from breathing in air pollutionHe tried to vote but to him there's no solutionLiving just enough, just enough for the cityI hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow

And that it motivates you to make a bettertomorrowThis place is cruel nowhere could be muchcolderIf we don't change the world will soon be overLiving just enough, just enough for the city!

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting downbrothers on the instant replay. (2X)There will be no pictures of Whitney Young beingrun out of Harlem on a rail with a brand newprocess.There will be no slow motion or still life of RoyWilkins strolling through Watts in a Red, Blackand Green liberation jumpsuit that he had beensavingFor just the proper occasion.

Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, andHooterville Junction will no longer be so damned

relevant, and women will not care if Dick finallygot down with Jane on Search for Tomorrowbecause Black people will be in the street lookingfor a brighter day.The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clocknews and no pictures of hairy armed womenliberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.

The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom

Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the RareEarth.The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a messageabout a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.You will not have to worry about a dove in yourbedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toiletbowl.The revolution will not go better with Coke.The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause

bad breath.The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, (4X)The revolution will be no re-run brothers;The revolution will be live.

LYRIC SHEET

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Say it Loud, Im Black and Im ProudJames Brown, 1968

Uh, with your bad self

Say it louder (I got a mouth) (2x)

Look a'here, some people say we got a lot of maliceSome say it's a lotta nerveI say we won't quit movingTill we get what we deserveWe've been buked and we've been scornedWe've been treated bad, talked aboutAs sure as you're bornBut just as sure as it takeTwo eyes to make a pair, huh

Brother, we can't quit until we get our share

Say it loud,

I'm black and I'm proud (3x)

I've worked on jobs with my feet and my handsBut all the work I did was for the other manAnd now we demands a chanceTo do things for ourselvesWere tired of beating our heads against the wallAnd working for someone else


1) What is the songwriters message about the realities of African American life in the U.S.?Give evidence for your answer.

2) What does the songwriter propose as a means to support African American life and identity?

3) How do the performer and producer summon interest in the subject matter of the song?

Read over the song lyrics. For each question, summarize the perspective of that song. Youmay want to underline the sections of the song that are pertinent to each question in order togive examples from the text to back up your conclusion.

MEDIA CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE STUDENT WORKSHEET

UNIT 4: BLACK FREEDOM/CIVIL RIGHTS LESSON 3: SONG

NAME __________________________ DATE _________________________

Unit 4, Lesson 3 Student Worksheet

!2010 Project Look Sharp Ithaca College Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies


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To Be Young, Gifted, and BlackNina Simone, 1969

To be young, gifted and black,Oh what a lovely precious dreamTo be young, gifted and black,Open your heart to what I mean

In the whole world you knowTheres a million boys and girlsWho are young, gifted, and black,And that's a fact!

You are young, gifted and blackWe must begin to tell our youngTheres a world waiting for youYours is the quest that's just begun

When you feel really lowYeah, there's a great truth that you should knowWhen you're young, gifted and blackYour soul's intact

1) What is the songwriters message about the realities of African American life in the U.S.?

Give evidence for your answer.




NAME __________________________ DATE _________________________




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Living for the CityStevie Wonder, 1973

SPOKEN: Bus going to New York City.Hey, bus driver, Im getting on there, hold it.Wow, New York, just like I pictured it.Skyscrapers, n everything.Hey, hey brother, you look hip, man.You want to make yourself five bucks man?Run this across the street for me right quick.Hey, what? Huh? I didnt know.Im just going across the street. Whatd I Do?Turn around, put your hands behind your backA jury of your peers having found you guiltyTen years. Cmon, get in that cell n-----, God.

SUNG: His hair is long, his feet are hard and grittyHe spends his life walking the streets ofNew York CityHe's almost dead from breathing in air pollutionHe tried to vote but to him there's no solutionLiving just enough, just enough for the cityI hope you hear inside my voice of sorrowAnd that it motivates you to make a bettertomorrowThis place is cruel nowhere could be much colderIf we don't change the world will soon be overLiving just enough, just enough for the city!





NAME __________________________ DATE _________________________




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The Revolution Will Not Be TelevisedGil Scott-Heron, 1974

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting downbrothers on the instant replay. (2X)There will be no pictures of Whitney Young beingrun out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.There will be no slow motion or still life of RoyWilkins strolling through Watts in a Red, Black andGreen liberation jumpsuit that he had been savingfor just the proper occasion.

Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and HootervilleJunction will no longer be so damned relevant, andwomen will not care if Dick finally got down withJane on Search for Tomorrow because Black peoplewill be in the street looking for a brighter day.The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clocknews and no pictures of hairy armed womenliberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.

The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, TomJones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or theRare Earth.The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a messageabout a white tornado, white lightning, or white

people.You will not have to worry about a dove in yourbedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in yourtoilet bowl.The revolution will not go better with Coke.The revolution will not fight the germs that may causebad breath.The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, (4X)The revolution will be no re-run brothers;The revolution will be live.




NAME __________________________ DATE _________________________

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Case Study: B;ack Identity - Ithaca University