The Texas State Board of Education tentatively approved new standards for social studies over the weekend, but left out hip-hop in the curriculum. The standards, which will influence history and government textbooks to be used in public schools in 2011, were adopted by 10 Republicans against five Democrats.
Ideological chasm aside, some board members failed to restore hip-hop music to the draft proposal's high school social studies standard on culture. Despite recommendations by experts that students be allowed to study the impact of cultural movements in art and music, the board's seven social conservatives voted to eliminate hip-hop as an option, citing offensive nature of rap lyrics.
Some of the recommended cultural movements were the Tin Pan Alley, the Beat Generation, rock and roll, the Chicano Mural Movement, country-western music, and hip-hop. The board's seven social conservatives, joined by Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, R-Dallas, considered some of the hip-hop lyrics offensive and voted to eliminate hip-hop as an option for students to consider.
Rep. Rick Agosto of San Antonio expressed his frustration over the board's decision to delete hip-hop and retain the Beat Generation, a genre that celebrated illegal drugs and alternative sex.
Way to keep politics out of our kids' education, Texas.
Comments
Absolutely disgusting. I saw a Fox News report on this, and even the Texas-accented reporter seemed appalled at what he was hearing. They are taking out some extremely important events and people and inserting relatively unimportant items in their place. Although things like conservative leaders in the `80s and `90s are important, they need to be balanced with minority leaders like Cesar Chavez. Further, removing a MAJOR cultural strand like hip-hop and replacing it with country music and the NRA? I’m sorry, but not everyone wants to breed narrow-minded gun-toting texans.
I think the reasons cited in the article are wrong but I don’t entirely disagree with the decision itself. Most of the forms of music they accepted were prominent around the 50’s or earlier. Hip Hop has only become popular since the 80’s. Just because it’s popular now doesn’t mean it will be here to stay and wont be replaced by something else only to be a small introduction to whatever comes after it. It is still discussed in the college curriculum and given a rightful place but for a highschool education it needs more time to take a bigger hold.
This summer I had the privilege of presenting at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of their Summer Teacher Institute where another teacher and I taught other teachers how to use Hip-Hop in the classroom to meet established standards. The Hip-Hop Culture is a valuable part of American Culture. When the Bronx was devistated by Robert Moses’ Cross Bronx Expressway and Bronx River Houses it became fertile ground for gangs and violence. Leaders like Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Grand Wizard Theodore, and Grandmaster Flash rallied youth in a more positive way by encouraging dance, art, and music. (The B-Boy, Graffiti, and the DJ and MC: The Four Pillars of Hip Hop) I have an entire unit focusing on this movement that I teach my students when we talk about the 1970s in America and I continue into Language Arts with syllibication, rime, simile, metaphor, etc.
Is Hip-Hop a long lasting phenom? Absolutely! Run DMC (I met and communicate somewhat regularly with Darryl McDaniels and he is an intelligent and socially conscious man) was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five were inducted in 2007. Given that the first rap song was recorded over 30 years ago and the genre is still going strong today, I’d say its a safe bet to say the music and culture of Hip-Hop are here to stay.