What’s Beef?: When Black Academics Go Hip Hop and Get Gully

At one point, I thought about getting some popcorn. I mean…it was getting that good. The jabs were landing ever so effectively. The punch lines were classic. Amidst the texts/calls/BBMs asking the same question “Did you see that?!”, I knew I wasn’t the only one watching the festivities. People everywhere were looking at this. This was one for the history books. No, we weren’t watching season finales or reality television reunion shows. With our feet crossed- some of us even in pajamas- and phone in hand, we all tuned into an epic Twitter battle royal on Tuesday. However, instead of our favorite rappers sparring at each other using 140 characters or less, it was our professors- some of Black America’s leading scholars and thinkers- going in.“Is this Revenge of the Nerds?”, a good friend jokingly asked. Ohhh but it was so much more.

On Tuesday, the world became aware of the full extent of Dr. Cornel West’s disdain for President Barack Obama. The tenured Princeton professor and philosopher called him a “Black mascot” for Wall Street oligarchs and corporate plutocrats. Insisting that President Obama has ignored the plight of the poor and Black in America, West also explained his personal issues with the President. Apparently, while campaigning for him, Dr. West called and prayed for (then) Senator Obama and he didn’t call him back. And to add insult to injury, Dr. West wasn’t even given tickets to the Presidential Inauguration. He had to watch it from his hotel room with his mother and brother, while the hotel worker assisting him with his luggage had a ticket. Oh and then there’s Dr. West’s claim that President Barack Obama, the leader of the free world, came up to him last year at the Urban League's 100th Anniversary Convention and “cussed” him out.

Let me first say this- I think Dr. Cornel West has contributed profoundly to significant discussions in America. I love his work. Taking Dr. King’s book Why We Can’t Wait and drawing parallels of progression from it with Dr. West’s Prophesy Deliverance is one of the highlights of my academic career. But I, like a great number of people, gave West a glaring *side eye* for his remarks in Chris Hedge’s piece. I’m not one of those people who thinks President Obama is above critique; I was highly critical of a healthcare system without a public option. So Dr. West and others who can substantively critique leadership are necessary. But let’s be real: that’s not ALL Dr. West is doing. Unfortunately he (and others) has begun to believe his own hype to the detriment of his message. It’s a sad day when the one who told us you can’t save and lead the people if you don’t serve and love them is upset a hotel bellhop was granted the access he was seemingly denied. Then, later that evening with Ed Shultz, he said he wanted to affirm Pres. Obama’s humanity and protect him from attack. Where is Ed Lover when you need him? C’mon Son. We don’t believe you; you need more people.

And, as scholars do, many took West to task for his disparaging, unfounded and egotistical remarks. For instance, many referred to Dr. Melissa Harris Perry’s piece, calling West to task, as the academic equivalent of Nas’ “Ether”. I mean…..there were only two things I thought about after reading it: playing “Ether” and using my best Fabolous voice to say “Niiice”. It was good. It was grounded in scholarship and rooted in fact. But, though we’d seen a great deal of back-and-forth all day after West’s interview was published, it seemed things within Black academia took a slight turn after Harris Perry’s piece was posted. My jaw dropped when I read "It is becoming increasingly difficult to take @mharrisperry seriously." tweeted by Eddie Glaude, Princeton professor and West’s good friend and protégé. And that- my friends- is when, for me, it got real. Several other professors and scholars waged scholastic war via Twitter on, what can only be classified (in my opinion) as the truth.

While Harris Perry has no need for anyone to defend her (she did an awesome job of that on her own), I couldn’t help but be amazed at how quickly scholastic critique evolved into personal attack. Black scholars can hide behind nine syllable words and a string of phrases they believe the average person wouldn’t comprehend, but many known an academic “yo mama” when they see it. This isn’t the first time Black scholars have gone at it through social networking mediums. However, the below the belt comments fielded Tuesday evening showed just how low public intellectual discourse in Black America can go when pushed. As a student admiring the contributions of many of these scholars, I wonder what type of tone is being set in the Black intellectual community. Why does it seem we can’t get points across without personal attacks? I’m not watching Rihanna and Ciara go at each other’s throats through subliminal tweets, I’m watching highly educated and well paid individuals undermine their colleague’s credibility.

This has gone beyond feeling slighted because President Barack Obama didn’t announce his presidential candidacy on, what some believe to be, THE African-American platform (let’s be honest- that’s exactly what started all this in the first place). This has gone beyond any structured critique of leadership and policy implications. This has become personal. On Tuesday, Princeton professor Imani Perry tweeted “Cornel West opened the space. Period. And in my tradition we respect elders, period. Disagreement can be consistent w/that.” I agree. However, when we see West imply one of the most engaged leaders within our community is weak and can be “easily manipulated”, we do not see respectful disagreement. When we see our educational leaders refer to the work of their colleagues as “bombast and bellicosity”, we do not see respectful disagreement. When we see them resort to petty remarks of misspelled tweets just to get a point across, we do not see respectful disagreement.

Those who accuse the African-American community of not having a substantive critique of the Obama Administration can’t then become hypocritical and unwilling to accept a substantive critique others have of them. I purchased every book Dr. West has published. I even own and have read the majority of the works of the intellectuals who squared off on Twitter. I support them and believe their voices are necessary. However, in a community where our children hear the first African-American President of the United States referred to as someone who is afraid of “free Black men”, the last thing they need to hear are their future professors picking on each other.

With so many in the Hip Hop generation climbing the Ivory Tower, academics and pop culture will continue to intertwine. Beef is good. It’s good in the music. It’s even good in academia. It keeps us on our toes, ensuring our product- whether music or philosophy- is fresh and most beneficial to the progression of the people. But beef is problematic when it becomes personal. It’s counterproductive. Most importantly, it’s just straight up whack. It was entirely too many degrees and too much money talking reckless on Twitter Tuesday. Using my best Florida voice, I ask “Where they do THAT at?” Sadly, in the African-American intellectual community.

My Education from the Miseducation (of Lauryn Hill)

This past Tuesday evening, I saw something that I should never see again. I shouldn’t have seen in the first place. I was on the hunt for Marsha Ambrosius’ new album, Late Nights and Early Mornings (which is fabulous- by the way) and Adele’s latest release 21 (this will be one of the greatest albums of this decade) and I stopped dead in my tracks. I saw…

…brace yourself…

…are you ready?

…postive?!?!

…okay...

I saw The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on sale for $7.00!!!

I know right!!!! I couldn’t believe it either! Such blasphemy! With just a five dollar bill and eight quarters, you could purchase one of the greatest musical masterpieces ever. How could they do this? It angered me. It really did. I left the store and didn’t even buy the other CDs out of protest.

I went home and pulled out my copy of The Miseducation. It’s never far from me. I’ve often said that if the Bible had a soundtrack, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill would be it. Yes, this album is that definitive to me. And I’m not alone. Every review of this gem agrees with me. But it took me a long time to get to a place where Lauryn’s miseducation could speak to mine.

When the album was released, I was starting my junior year of high school. I was still naïve, virginal, oblivious to love/men/relationships/confidence- all the things Lauryn spoke to. But I still knew I had something precious. I was beginning a transition in my life- a transition into womanhood. I was ready for college and all the uncertainty that came with it. More times than not, I would just sit and hit repeat over and over and let these words wash over me:

And deep in my heart, the answer, it was in me. And I made up my mind to define my own destiny.

The Miseducation did something all my years of church attendance could not. It helped me clothe myself in true self confidence and become aware of my place in and potential impact on the world.

With college (and adulthood) came the musings of love and I thought I’d found it. My movements, my intentions, my sacrifices, my thoughts reinforced that I was in complete and total possession of what so many twice my age were still pursuing:

These buildings could drift out to sea- some natural catastrophe. Still there’s no place I’d rather be, cause nothing even matters to me. Nothing even matters. Nothing even matters to me. Nothing even matters. Nothing even matters to me…..

But not only could Ms. Lauryn give me the words to articulate great and wonderful emotion, she was also my source to define what was turning out to be more of a complication than my life’s completion:

No matter how I think we grow, you always seem to let me know it ain't workin'. And when I try to walk away, you'd hurt yourself to make me stay. This is crazy.

And she deposited the wisdom in me that, if I let go, it would get better:

Everything is everything. What is meant to be, will be. After winter, must come spring. Change, it comes eventually.

Lauryn Hill and her 16 pieces of luggage were- and continue to be my roommates on this journey known as life and love.

They have been here when I’m dealing with the consequences of my devastating mistakes:

It’s been three weeks since you’ve been looking for your friend- the one you let hit it and never called you again…Don’t be a hard rock when you really are a gem, baby girl….

…or when I force someone to deal with the consequences of their devastating mistakes:

You might win some but you really lost one. You just lost one, it's so silly how come. When it's all done, did you really gain from what you done done? It's so silly how come. You just lost one.

…or when I realize that where I am probably isn’t where I need to be:

But I loved the young man….and if you've ever been in love then you'll understand that what you want might make you cry and what you need might pass you by- if you don't catch it. And what you need, ironically, will turn out what you want to be- if you just let it.

…or when I realize that where I am is exactly where I am supposed to be:

See my soul was weary but now it's replenished. Content because that part of my life is finished…I used to love him. Now I don't.

…or when I realize that where I want to be is not where I am:

I know I'm imperfect and not without sin. But now that I'm older, all childish things end and tell him- tell him I need him. Tell him I love him and it'll be alright.

Through the one hour and seventeen minutes of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, I have grown and continue to grow. I evolve from the unassuming schoolgirl to a woman, unashamed of her mistakes and unrelenting in her quest for love. That type of transformative power has to be worth more than 140 nickels. It has to be.

I believe it is.

Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.

Forgive them indeed.

©CMB, 2011