FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Cynthia Medina, [email protected], 848-445-1940
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How Hip-Hop Music Gives Voice to Populations Left Out of the Political Discourse
New Brunswick, N.J. (Jan. 30, 2020) – Rutgers scholar Derrick Darby, an expert in social and political philosophy, is available to discuss the ways hip-hop music is used to give voice to issues that affect marginalized populations, but are often ignored in the political discourse.
“Minority voices are excluded from conversations about democracy and politics. One place where these voices can be found is through lyrics by Nas, KRS-One, The Roots, Wu-Tang Clan and other artists who discuss issues of social injustice and offer a narrative from parts of America that have not been given a platform to speak. The failing education system, unemployment, limited opportunities that lead to increased crime: these are issues openly discussed in hip-hop lyrics. Today’s hip-hop has lost its way a bit, but modern artists can look to those of the past to speak on today’s issues, especially in the current political climate,” Darby said.
Darby, a Henry Rutgers professor of philosophy, is an expert in social and political philosophy, inequality, and hip-hop’s relationships to democracy and philosophy. He is the founding director of the Rutgers Social Justice Solutions Research Collaboratory and coauthor of Hip Hop and Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason and The Color of Mind: Why the Origins of the Achievement Gap Matter for Justice .
He can be reached by contacting Cynthia Medina at [email protected].
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Broadcast interviews: Rutgers University–New Brunswick has broadcast-quality TV and radio studios available for remote live or taped interviews with Rutgers experts. For more information, contact Cynthia Medina [email protected]
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