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Rapping in Time: Hip Hop, Activism, and Social Change in the Black Atlantic

October 9, 2020 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

In this virtual international panel Dr. Camara will be in conversation with Senegalese and American hip-hop artists-activists and scholars to discuss artistic engagement in times of COVID-19 pandemic and global anti-racism protest. Guest speakers will include “Kilifeu,” “Thiat,” Malal Talla (aka “Fou Malade”) of Senegal’s Y’En a marre (Fed Up!) movement, and Pierce Freelon of North Carolina.

In 2011 Senegal’s leading activist rappers “Kilifeu” and “Thiat” founded the Y’en a marre (Fed Up!) activist movement with journalist Fadel Barro. In 2012, Y’En a marre led the nationwide M23 movement to protest former president Wade’s attempt at a third unconstitutional term. After the 2012 election of current president Macky Sall, the “raptivists” declined an invitation to integrate the new regime, preferring to remain in distance, keeping up their roles as “watchdogs” of Senegalese democracy. Y’En a marre has stood its ground ever since, making music while engaged in grassroots activist work to combat government corruption, injustice, illiteracy, and now COVID-19 and racial injustice.

Pierce Freelon joins the panel as a professor, musician, and social entrepreneur. Hailing from from Durham, North Carolina, he founded Blackspace, an Afrofuturist digital makerspace and co-founded Beat Making Lab, an Emmy Award winning PBS web-series. Pierce is also co-director, writer and composer of The History of White People in America, a PBS animated series.

Moderator:
Dr. Samba Camara,
Teaching Assistant Professor of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies, UNC-CH

Details

Date:
October 9, 2020
Time:
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Website:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Mlm38DENS-CRcCZJ35qAhA