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Dialogue Through Viral Blog

Sparking Dialogue through Viral Piece: For People Who Value Hip Hop but Not Black Lives 

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Description: 

Story “For People Who Value Hip Hop but Not Black Lives” went viral on social media and sparked nationwide and even international dialogue.

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Analysis: 

Often times, I write about issues in society to get people to think differently about an issue or to think deeper on issues. The hip hop article was sparked when one of my friends who is a well known DJ back home posted some racist comments about black people on his Facebook page. He is known for playing majority hip hop artists who are black. It baffled me that I have seen him making a room full of black people dance and could still have racist thoughts. He profits off black music, and this is a big trope in the music industry for black people.  I chose to write it in the second person point of view to be like someone’s conscious speaking to them. It gained a lot of attention, even in Belgium and a famous documentary maker interviewed me based off of the story.

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Reflection: 

Although it can be uncomfortable putting myself in the public arena, I think that having a platform is a responsibility. I was given this platform to have a voice, so I see it as a public service to speak up on issues that can spark dialogue and inform the public. Of course, I got negative feedback, but the response was overwhelmingly positive and people were happy that there were others who shared their frustration about black exploitation in the music industry. Throughout my graduate studies continued to regularly write about social justice issues and incorporating class concepts in the real world.