This video was made for a final
research project that the class decided to develop in groups in 2007. Research had to occur about and on YouTube. This project was one of several videos created by the Blacks on YouTube group and posted by
VannaBlack4u. The assignment included making several videos including a
tour of their sources and a
final video.
There is a significant body of
academic work on the representation of
race in cyberspace.
Artists,
students, and
activists contribute to these conversations
as well.
In "Racializing Cyberspaces" it is suggested: "While new media are indeed new in many ways, they too often fall into quite old patterns when dealing with issues of race and ethnicity. Biologists, social scientists and social movements have led us to understand race as a socially constructed process, rather than a natural fact, but racial categories, racist structures and racist representations remain very much alive."
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The hip hop instrumental used to score this video is from the song "Go Grazy" produced by The Canon in 2007. The original track was produced for Young Jeezy and features Fat Joe and Jay-Z. This particular song and these artists are strong figures amongst the rap community who's culture was started and primarily composed of African Americans.
The lyrics in the song and in this genre of rap in particular are viewed as very controversial by many critics because they believe it gives strength to the stereotypes of black culture.
[cit]