Feminism and Hip Hop Conference hosted by the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago April 7-9, 2005

The Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture (CSRPC) at the University of Chicago will host the first national conference on the topic of ''Feminism and Hip Hop'' on April 7-9, 2005. This conference will provide a forum where scholars, students, artists, activists, community members, and members of the media can gather to discuss and analyze the relevance of feminist agendas to the hip hop generation. This conference will highlight the work of scholars, activists and artists across the country who are fighting for progressive representations of women in hip hop culture as they reshape feminist discourse and politics. Confirmed participants include: Moya Bailey, Yvonne Bynoe, Hazel Carby, Rosa Clemente, Alison Duke, Melyssa Ford, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Tamika Guishard, Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Byron Hurt, Cheryl Keyes, Felicia Miyakawa, Jessica Care Moore, Joan Morgan, Marcyliena Morgan, Mark Anthony Neal, Kim Osorio, Imani Perry, Gwendolyn Pough, Rachel Raimist, Rokafella, Tricia Rose, and Akiba Solomon.

In today’s increasingly mediated environment hip hop remains the most pronounced cultural identifier for young Americans regardless of gender, class or ethnicity. Alongside its various aesthetic contributions, the culture operates as a springboard for discourse surrounding the politics, desires, and activities of today’s youth and young adults. And while a substantial literature has emerged detailing the history and the current cultural domination of hip hop, there has also developed substantial writing and some research warning of the possible negative impact of hip hop culture on young African Americans, stemming from its focus and promotion of sex, drugs, crime, misogyny, consumerism and nihilism. This conference will provide the needed space for debate and discussion about the impact of hip hop culture on the sexual, gender and racial understandings of young people around the world. The Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture (CSRPC) at the University of Chicago is an interdisciplinary program dedicated to promoting engaged scholarship and debate around the concepts of race and ethnicity. Faculty affiliated with the Center recognize the significance of the black/white paradigm in the United States, however, we are committed to expanding the study of race and ethnicity beyond the black/white paradigm. Broadly, our research program encourages the study of race and processes of racialization in comparative and transnational frameworks. Central to our work is the acknowledgement that race and ethnicity intersect with other primary identities such as gender, class, sexuality and nationality, necessitating the exploration of social and identity cleavages within racialized communities. Fundamentally, we are committed to producing engaged scholarship that rejects the false dichotomy between rigorous intellectual work and community activism. We seek instead to contribute intellectually challenging and innovative scholarship that can help people transform their thinking and their lives.

This conference is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required online at http://csrpc.uchicago.edu. The deadline for registration is March 18, 2005. For a more detailed conference schedule and to register for the conference please visit our website at csrpc.uchicago.edu. For additional information about the conference contact the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at (773) 702-8063 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Persons with disabilities who may need assistance should contact the Center in advance of the event. The ''Feminism and Hip Hop'' conference is made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly. The views expressed during the conference do not represent those of the Illinois Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Illinois General Assembly. Funding for the conference was also provided by the Center for Gender Studies, the Committee on Cinema and Media Studies, the Department of Music, the International House Global Voices Program, the Office of Minority Student Affairs, the Organization of Black Students, and University Theater all at the University of Chicago. This press release can be found online at http://www-news.uchicago.edu/.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Thursday Evening Film Screenings and Discussion with Directors Hip Hop Gurlz (Director: Tamika Guishard); Booty Nation (Director: Alison Duke); Nobody Knows My Name (Director: Rachel Raimist)

Friday Panels and Plenaries ''Graduate Student Work on Hip Hop'' ''Hip Hop Archive'' (Featuring Marcyliena Morgan, the archive founding director) Progressive Women’s Caucus ''From Blues to Hip Hop: Rethinking Black Women’s Sexuality'' (Featuring Gwendolyn Pough, Hazel Carby, and Farah Jasmine Griffin) ''Feminism and Hip Hop'' (Featuring Joan Morgan, Tricia Rose, and Beverly Guy-Sheftall)

Saturday Panels ''Media Representations of Women in Hip Hop'' 'sexuality and Agency in Hip Hop'' ''Masculinity, Heterosexism, and Hip Hop'' ''Feminism, Politics and Hip Hop on the Ground''

Saturday Evening Performances Jessica Care Moore Rockafella Other Artists