"Dr. G" addresses musical evolution of hip hop in American culture sponsored by Cigna
Dr. Frederick Gooding Jr. also known by his students as “Dr. G” plans to address the campus and community on Thursday, February 2 in the University Center Ballroom. His talk is called Hip Hop Gets a Bad Rap. Gooding will explore the evolution of hip hop culture through time from what he calls, “controversial” to an elevated “mainstream” genre enjoyed by society today. Gooding is visiting CMU from the John V. Roach Honors College at TCU where he serves as a professor in humanities.
In addition to a public keynote presentation, Gooding will also host a question and answer session with CMU student leaders and the Black Student Alliance (BSA). President Marshall and Dr. Gooding will host a CMUnow podcast that will be released later this month.
Students invited Gooding to speak based on his extensive work in examining race in mainstream media and culture. His explorations and expertise include Hollywood popular culture and how African American Academy Award winners, and their narratives, reflect and reinforce American history.
Each year the month of February is dedicated to honoring and celebrating contributions made to American culture by Black artists, policy makers, educators, and entertainers. In all walks of life Black Americans have and continue to contribute to enriching culture and communities. From all periods of U.S. history, February celebrates these contributions.
“All year long our country enjoys the amazing cultural enrichments made by Black Americans as their spirit is evident in all aspects of cultural life and experience,” said Colorado Mesa University Coordinator of Inclusivity & Mentor Specialist Ta'Lor Jackson. “Black History Month is a time when we can formally recognize and celebrate what we benefit from 365 days a year.”
Historically when many people think about Black history, issues like slavery or civil rights tend to dominate the discussion. CMU programming seeks to enlarge the focus by also discussing what is happening today, and what the future holds for Black Americans.
On February 6 students will host a conversation called, Lets Talk About: Hair -a conversation devoted to the challenges that Black students have in some parts of the country finding hair care services or products that meet their needs. On Valentine's Day students will host a screening of Love and Basketball while on February 20 a moderated discussion will include explorations of Black Political issues.
A full lineup of Black History Month events for the month can be found here.
Dr. Gooding's speaking engagement was made possible thanks to Cigna and BSA.