"More than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities. For Black males in their twenties, 1 in every 8 is in prison or jail on any given day. These trends have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of the "war on drugs," in which three-fourths of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color." -
www.thesentencingproject.org
In the introduction of this essay I start in retrospect; with an essay I wrote four years ago in observation to the coming developing changes to the sociological and cultural aspects to america’s inner city’s. Living in Philadelphia at the time, seeing the rise of homicides there in the transitions of 2006 and 2007, to where it toppled Camden NJ as the murder capitol, I blogged that “where or the when the darkest hour settles, the light of hope shines the brightest” (paraphrased). I stated this, seeing in the following years the consciousness of not only the people opening, recognizing the troubled times, but major artists became involved in a stream of activism, and reflected views of positive change in their music, ie:
Activism, and social activism is still relevent. In 2010, in the mainstream of pop-culture(entertainment, arts), the socio-landscape of america's inner cities, politics and the current recession(paper chase), there still remains an undertow of a sense of community; even in the face of the social ills. The challenges that plague us in our urban communities, specifically in the african and latino diaspora's, generally brings us back to a code of ethics, that seemingly suffers depletion in the culture. "Music is life"..a term i like to refer to, helps me put the social outlook of this urban discourse in perspective:
From the street's genre, ( Beans, D-block, Cassidy, Ransom) to the king's/queens of commercial mainstream,(Jay z, Drake, Nas, Jeezy, mariah) to the conscious genre's(pan-african socialists, dead prez, talib kweli, the roots, mos def, common, erykah, rebel diaz) all have one thing in common: they wouldn't refute the means of social change; especially in urban communities. Most artists of all genre's by personal experience, and overall, are conscious of the times. Unity, and understanding are primarily still catalysts for change. I write this in efforts to encourage social awareness, personal and social development among the american masses, and people of color. Peace.
Consciously yours,
Z.A
www.thesentencingproject.org
In the introduction of this essay I start in retrospect; with an essay I wrote four years ago in observation to the coming developing changes to the sociological and cultural aspects to america’s inner city’s. Living in Philadelphia at the time, seeing the rise of homicides there in the transitions of 2006 and 2007, to where it toppled Camden NJ as the murder capitol, I blogged that “where or the when the darkest hour settles, the light of hope shines the brightest” (paraphrased). I stated this, seeing in the following years the consciousness of not only the people opening, recognizing the troubled times, but major artists became involved in a stream of activism, and reflected views of positive change in their music, ie:
Activism, and social activism is still relevent. In 2010, in the mainstream of pop-culture(entertainment, arts), the socio-landscape of america's inner cities, politics and the current recession(paper chase), there still remains an undertow of a sense of community; even in the face of the social ills. The challenges that plague us in our urban communities, specifically in the african and latino diaspora's, generally brings us back to a code of ethics, that seemingly suffers depletion in the culture. "Music is life"..a term i like to refer to, helps me put the social outlook of this urban discourse in perspective:
From the street's genre, ( Beans, D-block, Cassidy, Ransom) to the king's/queens of commercial mainstream,(Jay z, Drake, Nas, Jeezy, mariah) to the conscious genre's(pan-african socialists, dead prez, talib kweli, the roots, mos def, common, erykah, rebel diaz) all have one thing in common: they wouldn't refute the means of social change; especially in urban communities. Most artists of all genre's by personal experience, and overall, are conscious of the times. Unity, and understanding are primarily still catalysts for change. I write this in efforts to encourage social awareness, personal and social development among the american masses, and people of color. Peace.
Consciously yours,
Z.A
THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010.
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