Janet Payne - Spectacle

Well, what an interesting view of one cultural component Black America. I suppose Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington must have been quite a "spectacle." But such spectacles were and are necessary in the public sphere to simply get a point across to "Western civilization." McKee foscused on rap music, which is only one outlet of cultural communication. It's creators were writing for a specific audience, just as lynchings were held for a specific audience. I don't believe rap is intended to suite everyone's taste, and that may be its main point, the right of expression without deference to anyone. There is a dance genre among the Black community called Krumping, which originated from Los Angeles. I doubt if it would be suitable in a country club, but it is a form of expression for Black youths. Being a minority in American means watching your back. McKee brings up the issue of the "poll tax" and "literacy tests" which "resulted in severe inequalities of outcome." (127). Today, we have No Child Left Behind, which really translates to every child left behind because of the way the tests are administered and written. And the beat goes on.