Hip-Hop has been described and explained in an uncountable amount of ways throughout history and I have finally found the perfect way to define it. Hip-Hop is the expression of African American experiences, lifestyles, and ideas using AAVE (African American Vernacular English) and music.

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is the best example to use for Hip-Hop, because of the messages his music presents to the world. J. Cole was born in Germany, but grew up in North Carolina with his mother, and a lot of his music is a reflection of the life he has lived. He is moving Hip-Hop back to the way it used to be and he is doing this fearlessly and he is relentless.

In his song “Be Free”, he expressed his disappointment in the way that police brutality is being handled and his concern for why it continues to go without punishment. He says “all we wanna do is take the chains off, all we wanna do is be free, … can you tell me why? every time I step outside I see my niggas die…”. While giving tribute to the late Mike Brown he makes clear political observations he wants to be free and although we are free by law we are not free in this society and world we live in as African Americans. He made his position clear and he is demanding answers.

He is using his platform as a Hip-Hop artist to bring awareness to this issues we face in our communities and this is what every single black rapper should be doing. Justice will not be served until there are more J. Cole’s in the world. His music is not just being made to sell it is being made to fight for equality, peace and love and that is the origin f all music. His Hip-Hop challenges the rules and barriers placed on modern Hip-Hop, but he does not stop, in fact, he uses his setbacks as motivation. His work is opening doors for other artist like him and for people to fight for what they believe in without the fear of not being heard. Hip-Hop bring African Americans together, but Hip-Hop with Jermaine Cole brings us together for a cause.

My very first tattoo was these three powerful words; shoutout to Maya Angelou for that.

These words are so powerful to me because of the trials and tribulations I have faced and those yet to come. Breaking down this small phrase may seem pointless or nearly impossible, but I am going to use what I know to enlighten you all. “Still” to me is equivalent to regardless of any and everything, keep going, keep trying, keep pushing keep thriving, but most importantly keep fighting for what you deserve. Next, is “I”, the importance of this word is heavy. A lot of women lose sight of themselves and their needs due to our nurturing nature, we tend to over look ourselves. “I” reminds me to continuously show myself love, treat myself every once in a while, and to always make sure that I am okay. Lastly, “Rise”. Rise is a constant factor in the African American community, if you fall get up, if you fail try again, if you lose keep trying until you win. RISE! The phrase contains more than what meets the eye and it took me a while to find the meaning, but knowing and understanding makes her poem resonate with me more.

Just a little background information on Maya Angelou. She was most famously known for her series of books she published, poems, speeches, and activist work. She is a woman with an impeccable story, she was a sex worker, and from there she worked and performed as a singer and dancer at club Calypso, she worked along-side of Malcom X in Ghana for years, she was a professor there as well, all of that while composing and publishing numerous books and poems. One of her most famous poems and obviously y personal favorite is “and Still I rise”.

In “Still I Rise” she brags and boast about herself as a woman and how she will always overcome the trials and tribulations she faces. This poem was written in 1978, which was not an easy period for women rights. Women were always forced to conform and follow directions, but this poem showed her rebellion. She was not afraid to be who she wanted to be as a BLACK woman. This poem has allowed for so many black girls to grow up and be proud of the skin they are in and love who they are despite the standards set by society.  

Her story within itself s amazing she rose beyond all statistics ad nay-sayers and she showed them that with hard work and effort you can be whatever you put your mind to. Her work will forever be appreciated and used in the future of all African American women. Keep rising, keep going, kep

Well, upon seeing me, it is very obvious what I am. I am a Black Woman in America in 2020 and this world always seize to amaze me. The woman I am today is a lot different than the woman I would have been in 1851. This year holds so much significance, but most importantly to me as a woman, this is the year that Sojouner Truth spoke her piece and foreverr changed the foundation of all African American Women to come after her.

Ms. Truth had a major impact on the history of women. She pointed out something very important to me in her speech. She said “…if woman upset the world do give her a chance to set it right side up again.” From the time I heard that quote it made me think. When has a woman truthFULLY had a chance to set the world right side up again. Statistics prove that 70% of men are in positions of power in Fortune 500 companies, 77% in government offices, and 73% in political cabinets, just to name a few. We, as women have always been left out and looked over for positions of power. There has never been a real chance for us, women, to make the things “right”, or at least what men think that women have messed up.

Another point I want to address is the one she made about the pint and quart. She said “…if a woman have a pint, and man a quart — why can’t she have her little pint full? … for we can’t take more than our pint’ll hold.” Men consistently deprive women of what they deserve in fear that we will will act the way men have acted and still act with the power they possess. Our agendas are not the same, our pint is not their quart. We, as women do not long to have what they have, nor do we want to do what they do. This would be known if they gave us a chance to prove that, or if they at least asked.

I am A woman. I do not like the system we are consistently fighting. I constantly face adversity because I am not only a woman, but I am also an African American. This world is not formed to help or benefit me in anyway so I have to get everything on my own, but this is the story of all African American women across the entire world. A Woman, I am, but I am a woman in a man’s world.

Chanel Edwards

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.