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Volume 71, Issue 134,
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
News 'Think globally, act locally' People are unaware of history, Public Enemy founder Chuck D says by DUSTI RHODES
Audience members swarmed the stage for autographs Wednesday after Chuck D's speech at the Cullen Performance Hall, leaving little hope for the pre-planned question-and-answer session. Chuck D, the legendary rapper and founder of the political hip-hop group Public Enemy, related stories about issues facing young people. "I liked how he made us feel that our education was really important," anthropology senior Maria Ortiz said. "He made us feel like our mind is an important thing."
Hip-hop icon Chuck D said Monday students should value their education above all else. UH's American Cultures Program hosted the lecture, "Race and Rap in America: An Evening with Chuck D." Gregory Bohuslav/ The Daily Cougar Chuck D stressed the value of a college education, especially in a time when corporations are trying to dumb down society. "You are graduating and you're going to be an exception to the ‘dumbassified' rule," Chuck D said. He said society holds celebrities and "bling" hip-hop artists higher than teachers and educated youth. It's a trend that "rewards the class clown with a crown," he said. Chuck D questioned a popular term used among those trying to maintain a "cool" status while going to school. "What the hell is a collegiate thug?" Chuck D said. He warned future generations about corporations' goals to market their own ideas to them. "Minds are the real estate of the millennium. (Corporations are) looking for you to pay money for your own mind," Chuck D said. "Hold on to your minds." Chuck D also spoke about the history of music from the development of r&b and jazz to the beginnings of rock 'n' roll. "This is why New Orleans is important," Chuck D said, referring to New Orleans' Congo Square and its relevance in American music history. He said part of the problem with the reconstruction of New Orleans is that people in America are not aware of its geography, demographics or history. "People would say things like, ‘I didn't know there was so many black people there,'" he said. Because only 18 percent of Americans have passports, Chuck D said it will be impossible for people in the United States to understand other cultures and it will eventually cripple the nation. "Think globally, act locally," he said. Chuck D also focused on the status of the U.S. government and warned people not to subscribe to government -- "the cancer of civilizations." Education should be valued above all else, Chuck D said. "I was a man and a student before I was rapper," Chuck D said. Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu |
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