The Aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and the Negation of the Old American Dream
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Pedagogy of the Block: The Aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and the Negation of the old American Dream By Hodari Arisi Touré A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Daniel Perlstein, Chair Professor Na‘ilah Suad Nasir Professor Carolyn Finney Spring, 2011 Pedagogy of the Block: The Aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and the Negation of the old American Dream © 2011 by Hodari Arisi Touré Abstract Pedagogy of the Block: The Aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and the Negation of the Old American Dream by Hodari Arisi Toure' Doctor of Philosophy in Education University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Perlstein, Chair The constraining role of racial, social, and economic stratification on the lives and education of African American males has been argued both theoretically and empirically (Massey, 2007; MacLeod, 1987; Noguera, 2001). Some have argued that one important mechanism is the perception of limited opportunity structures (Noguera, 2004; Ogbu, 1987). This dissertation explored how real and perceived opportunity structures were shaped by political, social, and economic forces in an urban neighborhood. Specifically, this study focused on a core group of Black males in a bounded historical time and geographic locale and explored how life pathways were identified, conveyed, and chosen. This study was historically situated in the period starting with the inception of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in 1966, until the time of the death of its co-founder, Huey P. Newton in 1989. This study argued that the complex interplay of competing ideologies that arose during that time period was at the crux of redefining Black life pathways to achieving the American Dream, also conveying the outcomes from that pursuit. This study took place in Oakland, California as this was the birthplace of the Black Panthers and it focused on the Oak Knoll neighborhood. I explored the ways in which the Black Power movement, the burgeoning drug epidemic, and State suppression in post-industrial Oakland informed how a cohort of over 40 Black males made sense of their societal positionality and how that 'sense making' influenced their choice of pathways and life outcomes. I will draw on Critical Race Theory in order to examine the ways in which race and power were central in the choices youth perceived, communicated, and enacted (Crenshaw, 1995; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Methodologically, I will utilize interviews with members of the cohort, biographical narratives, primary and secondary sources, with the dissertation taking the form of an autoethnography of the block cohort. Primary and secondary sources will be employed to give a historical context to the time period and to contextualize the differing pathways. Interviews with cohort members and the development of autoethnographical narratives will focus on what I am calling 'block pedagogy', which I define as the organic community discourse that reflects the constant negotiation of identity, power and privileged knowledge, informed by the historical context. A focus on 'block pedagogy' (as remembered by informants) will be used to illuminate alternative/oppositional life pathways that were available to this cohort and how those options were developed and conveyed across the cohort through the use of privileged knowledge. Ultimately, this study will contribute to our understanding of the ways in which the multiple 1 spheres of societal contact—with the power structure, Black radicalism, and criminality— resulted in identity-shaping knowledge. In doing so, it will document the ever-changing nature of oppression and community response to it: both in ways that subvert and reproduce existing oppressive social structures. 2 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my father, Gus Brown, who transitioned on March 29, 2007. I miss you every day, but I feel your presence in everything that I do. I want to thank you now and I wished I would have thanked you when you were here for giving me the foundation to build on, even though I didn‘t recognize or appreciate it while growing up. Your examples, both good and bad, allowed for me to be a better father and a better man when I finally decided to come of age. Your grandchildren miss you and I will tell stories of you often. I love and miss you. i Table of Contents Dedication……………………………………………………………………………….. i Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………… iv Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… vi Chapter 1………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Background to the Study…………………………………………………………. 4 Theoretical Grounding…………………………………………………………… 5 Autoethnography…………………………………………………………………. 6 Organization of the Dissertation………………………………………………….. 7 Chapter 2………………………………………………………………………..……….. 9 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………… 9 Deficit and Pathology Models……………………………………………………. 9 Critical Race Theory……………………………………………………………… 11 Collective Identity………………………………………………………………… 12 Theorizing White Supremacy and Minoritization………………………………… 14 What Is It to Be ―Human‖………………………………………………………… 17 Forms of ―Death‖…………………………………………………………………. 18 Black Masculinity………………………………………………………………… 20 Ideology and Hegemony………………………………………………………….. 23 Chapter 3………………………………………………………………………………… 26 Introduction……………………………………………………………………….. 26 Minoritized Space, Inventing the ‗Block‘………………………………………… 27 The Battle Over Place and Space…………………………………………………. 28 WWII Migration-Exodus West…………………………………………………… 31 Minoritized Space………………………………………………………………… 33 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… 37 Chapter 4: Pathways- Multiple Ways of Being………………………..………………. 40 Prologue…………………………………………………………………………… 40 Introduction……………………………………………………………………….. 41 Black Panther Party for Self-Defensive…………………………………………... 42 Black Guerrilla Family……………………………………………………………. 44 The MOB…………………………………………………………………………. 48 The Rise of the Drug Cliques and the Fall of the Street Gangs…………………... 52 The Death of a Revolutionary……………………………………………………..54 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… 56 ii Chapter 5: Privileged Knowledge: The Training of the Block……………………...... 58 Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 58 The Training of the Block: 1975………………………………………………….. 60 1980…King Estates………………………………………………………………. 64 1982…Smoke…………………………………………………………………….. 65 1984…Training the next Cohort………………………………………………….. 67 1985…The Golf Course…………………………………………………………... 68 1986…Everything I learned, I learned from the streets…………………………... 71 Smoke Reduex……………………………………………………………………. 72 Institutional Death………………………………………………………………… 73 1989…The beginning of the end………………………………………………….. 76 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………… 88 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….. 90 Armoring………………………………………………………………………….. 90 Privileged Knowledge…………………………………………………………….. 90 American Dream…………………………………………………………………. 92 Black Life…………………………………………………………………………. 93 Ways of Knowing…………………………………………………………………. 94 Expanding Pathways……………………………………………………………… 95 Epilogue: Reconciliation- a letter to my father…………………………………………………..96 References………………………………………………………………………………... 100 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………… 106 Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………. 107 Appendix C……………………………………………………………………………… 108 Appendix D………………………………………………………………………………. 109 Appendix E………………………………………………………………………………. 111 iii Acknowledgements This has been a long and winding journey that has finally come to its conclusion–both literally and figuratively. I have been aided by many people (and a dog or two) along the way and here is my chance to thank them all for their assistance—whether they knew they were helping or not. First, I would like to thank my extended support community; friends, colleagues and former students who have helped, supported, and inspired me through this long process and who have consistently asked, ―Are you done yet?‖. I would like to thank Adriana and Amanda, my ‗research assistants‘ for gathering info on various topics and making it easier for me to narrow down sources and find relevant information. I would also like to thanks my dissertation committee, Dan Perlstein (chair), Na‘ilah Nasir, Carolyn Finney, and Ingrid Seyer Ochi (unofficial), all of whom have been extremely supportive through the two dissertation iterations. I want to give a big thank you to Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, my unofficial member, and one of my biggest supporters. Ingrid has been a staunch ally and friend through my ups and downs as a graduate student and I am truly indebted to her for her unwavering support—both as a mentor and friend. Dan Perlstein, my chair and the one consistent presence on my committee through its iterations, has been in my corner since day one. Dan has supported my wish to do a nontraditional dissertation and he has pushed me outside of my comfort level. I believe he has successfully guided this dissertation and made it stronger. Na‘ilah Nasir was the calming force in this dissertation whirlwind. She would talk to me for hours (well it seemed like hours) as I was stressing out about one thing or another. I think she must have been a healer in another life or maybe that‘s her out-of-school practice now? Na‘ilah was the great unifier behind the scenes and she gave me excellent and timely chapter feedback…something all grad students appreciate. I am extremely indebted to my wider discourse community of grad and undergrad students. I would talk to them about my work and process