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mck
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I think all of us have to break free of the negatives of the culture we were born into, which is exceedingly difficult when the mainstream culture despises who you are. My hope and belief is that, had Tupac lived to see the end of the violent East-West rivalry, he would have been a great force for change within the black community and disenfranchised of our society. As it stands I think his rage has a place in our culture today. It inspires the question in those of us who come froma different place,"What could cause this much violent anger in a person?" It is in attempting to answer this question that the newer generations of privileged Americans may come to a certain level of awareness of what goes on outside their suburban homes.
Of course, this is all very optimistic... It can also promote a culture of caricature of the poor black youth of our country, which, while being more good-natured than the stereotypes of previous generations, is no less harmful to the society as a whole.
I like to believe, as I think Tupac Shakur believed, that one voice can rock the world, and that if you don't speak loudly you'll never be heard. I also believe that instead of censoring these angry or "offensive" voices, we should listen to them closely as symptomatic of the divisions within our communities.
I hope that when my peers and I are in our 30s and 40s, a politician will not be uneasy in admitting to listening to hip hop artists like The Roots, Common, Mos Def, or rappers like Tupac, Eminem, and Jay-Z. Like everyone else, their lives are multifaceted and they may not always speak of the political or social issues of the day, but if you listen closely, you can hear the voice of a silenced and overburdened America demanding a change. It is my hope that as the rich get richer, that the poor and alienated populations of this country get louder.
It is for the power of his voice, the depth of his passion, and the urgency of his life that I honor Tupac Shakur.
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060424
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