Symposium Winner Focuses on Black on Black Crime
Nicole Barclay and Dervedia Thomas
Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Features
Anthony Brooking, won first place in the Miller F. Whittaker Library's call for papers segment of their second annual Hip Hop symposium last week. Brooking who is also a contributor to The Collegian, was the only person to submit an essay, discussing the theme 'Black on Black Crime,' which featured the causes,the concerns,and the solutions of this grave issue that continues to affect our Black community today.
In his essay, Brooking refers to this form of crime as an epidemic that can be traced not just from slavery, but directly from Africa. "A common trait transferred between continents was the territoriality of African people," he wrote. "It is important to remember that,as a continent, Africa has thousands of ethnic groups, with diverse languages, cultures,and traditions. Africans fought over and protected their commonwealth with the same vigor as African Americans fight over and protect their communities."
This violence which was so prevalent in Africa he said, was compounded by the African self-hate born out the violence and brutality of slavery.
Acknowledging that the cities populated with the highest percentage of African Americans in the United States contain the highest rate of crime, Brooking explains that inequitable housing programs,federal policies that did not take into account the needs of the poor as well as segregationist practices "trapped and caged" thousands of blacks into impoverished residential properties, creating breeding grounds for crime and violence in black communities.
The constant glorification of black on black crime in music and on television as well as the lack of attention paid to this issue in the media,were also factors Brooking said accounted for this phenomena. In short, Brooking stressed that if the Black on Black crime is not addressed, there will be heightened repercussions. Not only should consideration be made now, but solutions must be implemented immediately.
In their second year promoting the event, Sherman Pyatt, chairman of the symposium said the program's purpose is to promote information literacy among students. "It is our hope that students will begin to seek ways to resolve these issues and realize that by doing research they can empower themselves to make a change in their communities."
In his essay, Brooking refers to this form of crime as an epidemic that can be traced not just from slavery, but directly from Africa. "A common trait transferred between continents was the territoriality of African people," he wrote. "It is important to remember that,as a continent, Africa has thousands of ethnic groups, with diverse languages, cultures,and traditions. Africans fought over and protected their commonwealth with the same vigor as African Americans fight over and protect their communities."
This violence which was so prevalent in Africa he said, was compounded by the African self-hate born out the violence and brutality of slavery.
Acknowledging that the cities populated with the highest percentage of African Americans in the United States contain the highest rate of crime, Brooking explains that inequitable housing programs,federal policies that did not take into account the needs of the poor as well as segregationist practices "trapped and caged" thousands of blacks into impoverished residential properties, creating breeding grounds for crime and violence in black communities.
The constant glorification of black on black crime in music and on television as well as the lack of attention paid to this issue in the media,were also factors Brooking said accounted for this phenomena. In short, Brooking stressed that if the Black on Black crime is not addressed, there will be heightened repercussions. Not only should consideration be made now, but solutions must be implemented immediately.
In their second year promoting the event, Sherman Pyatt, chairman of the symposium said the program's purpose is to promote information literacy among students. "It is our hope that students will begin to seek ways to resolve these issues and realize that by doing research they can empower themselves to make a change in their communities."
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