MUSIC BY DAVID BRYAN LYRICS BY DAVID BRYAN & JOE DIPIETRO BOOK BY JOE DIPIETRO STUDY GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
FAST FACTS 01
THE CHARACTERS 02
THE PLOT 05
HISTORY OF SHAW UNIVERSITY 06
TIMELINE: CIVIL RIGHTS + RALEIGH 07
AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: RALEIGH 09
RACIAL ROOTS OF ROCK & ROLL 11
MEDIA & INFLUENCE 16
LOVING VS. VIRGINIA 22
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION VS APPRECIATION 24
Photo credit: Curtis Brown Photography
MEMPHIS Study Guide FAST FACTS: MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL
It was nominated for 8 Tony Awards Memphis opened on in 2010 and won 4: Broadway in October - Best Book of a Musical of 2009. - Best Original Score - Best Orchestrations - Best Musical
The national tour The show debuted in ran on the Memphis, TN in West End 2011. The show in London toured the US from 2014 until 2013. to 2015.
In 2011, Adam Pascal joined the Broadway cast in the role of In January & February Huey Calhoun. Pascal of 2012, Christopher is known for Jackson joined the originating roles in Broadway cast in the RENT and Aida. role of Delray. Jackson originated roles in both In the Heights and Hamilton.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 01 THE CHARACTERS
HUEY CALHOUN
Young white man determined to bring "race music" into mainstream culture and break a segregated society's racial barriers. He is a cock-eyed optimist who impulsively acts upon his beliefs. Played by Colby Dezelick
FELICIA FARRELL
Young black singer at the Beale Street Club that dreams of taking her music beyond the local constraints of Memphis, Tennessee. She is passionate and tenacious. Played by Desireé Murphy
DELRAY FARRELL
Owner of the Beale Street Club and Felicia's overly protective older brother. He years to make his sister a national success. Played by Antoine L. Smith
Character descriptions from http://allticketsinc.com//wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Memphis_StudyGuide.pdf
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 02 THE CHARACTERS
GLADYS CALHOUN
Huey's hard-working mother. She has great difficulty supporting Huey's personal and professional affiliations with the black community. Played by Elizabeth Ward Land
MR. SIMMONS
Owner of the WHDZ Memphis radio station and eventually, Huey's boss. While he is not comfortable with Huey's actions, his financial gains through Huey outweight his distaste. Played by David McClutchey
GATOR
The bartender at the Beale Street Club. He is very attentive, but does not speak. Played by Avery Smith
BOBBY
Beale Street Club frequenter that works in the day as a janitorfor Mr. Simmons' radio station. Played by Curtis Moore
Character descriptions from http://allticketsinc.com//wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Memphis_StudyGuide.pdf
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 03 THE CHARACTERS BEALE STREET ENSEMBLE
Melvin Gray Jr. Julia Harnett Adelyn Harris Chris J. Helton
Collin Heyward Micah Jordan Tyler McKenzie Darian Moore
Devin Price Alexia Sielo Karilyn Ashley Carlita Victoria Surratt MAIN STREET ENSEMBLE
Jacob Burns Carly Grissom Gracie Phillips Ellen Pierce
Sawyer Pollock Hannah Smith Evan Tylka Collin Yates
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 04 THE PLOT
The story takes place in 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, where there is an underground rock & roll party being held at an African American club called Delray’s. Delray and his sister, Felicia, as well as the other African American patrons, are shocked when a white man named Huey Calhoun joins them at the club. Huey claims he is there because he has a love for the kind of music they are playing. Later, at his department store job, Huey takes a risk by playing a rock & roll record called “Scratch My Itch,” and even though the white customers seem to enjoy the music and record sales are up, Huey’s boss fires him for the stunt.
Determined to land a DJ job and get Felicia on the radio, Huey begins applying at white radio stations. He takes another leap of faith when he hijacks a local DJ’s mic and plays an African American rock song, ““Everybody Wants to be Black on Saturday Night.” Mr. Simmons, the owner of the radio station, is about to throw Huey out when the phone lines light up by white teens calling in to request more songs like the one they just heard. Huey earns a DJ job on a two-week trial period basis, with the potential to go full-time if he does well. He continues to gain popularity as he improvises sales pitches for local radio sponsors and coins his catchphrase “Hockadoo!” along the way. Soon, he is a full-time DJ.
Convinced she is destined for stardom, Huey soon brings in Felicia to the radio station and convinces her to sing live on air, which earns her popularity amongst listeners. As Huey and Felicia grow closer, Felicia’s brother, Delray, voices his concerns about the dangers an interracial couple in Memphis might face. However, their secret relationship continues as Huey becomes more and more successful with both white and African American teen listeners to the disapproval of some of their parents.
Two years later, Huey proposes to Felicia, but she is hesitant given laws prohibiting interracial marriage in their state. As he convinces her to reconsider, the couple share a kiss, which is interrupted by a group of white men, who hold Huey down and beat up Felicia. Huey rushes the injured Felicia to the club, where Delray is furious that Huey would put his sister at risk.
Some time later, Huey is set to debut his own variety television show, which will feature African American performers and dancers. Felicia has an audition in New York City with a talent agency that may also pick up Huey’s variety show, but he is hesitant to leave Memphis. At his audition, Huey is informed that his program will only be considered if his black performers are replaced with white ones. He refuses, and is confused when Felicia tells him she is still going ahead with plans to move to New York. In a desperate move, Huey kisses Felicia live on air. She is furious at him, and he is fired on the spot. The couple go their separate ways – Felicia to New York with Delray, Huey back to Memphis, now unemployed.
Four years later, Huey still hosts a radio show, but this one is far less popular. Felicia, who is in the middle of a national tour and now engaged to another man, unexpectedly shows up at the station to ask Huey to join her at her show in Memphis that evening. He refuses, fearful that he has lost all of his popularity, although he is happy to see Felicia once more. That night, Huey surprises Felicia halfway through a number, joining her for a final performance onstage.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 05 HISTORY OF SHAW UNIVERSITY
National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has announced that North Carolina Theatre has been selected to receive federal funding for our musical production of Memphis. This funding supports a collaboration with Shaw University that engages students and community in exploration of the power of social influencers in the promotion and proliferation of arts and music through mass communications.
Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the first historically Black institution of higher education in the South and among the oldest in the nation. The University was founded in 1865 by Henry Martin Tupper, a native of Monson, Massachusetts, a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War, and a graduate of Amherst College and Newton Theological Seminary. Shaw was originally founded as Raleigh Institute, a school designed to teach freedmen theology and biblical interpretation. The school’s name changed to Shaw Collegiate Institute in 1870 and five years later it adopted its present name, Shaw University. Shaw boasts many “firsts”: the first college in the nation to offer a four-year medical program, the first historically Black college in the nation to open its doors to women, and the first historically Black college in North Carolina to be granted an “A” rating by the State Department of Public Instruction. Dr. Paulette Dillard currently serves as the University's 18th President. In 1993, the University made courses in ethics and values central to the general education that all of its students receive in order to emphasize its commitment to the inculcation of high personal standards and citizenship. In 1997, research was conducted by the University to determine why Black World War II veterans were excluded from receiving the top military award. Ten soldiers were recommended to the Pentagon to receive the Medal of Honor as a result of this study, and ultimately seven of the candidates were awarded the prestigious medal. The mission of Shaw University is to advance knowledge, facilitate student learning and achievement, to enhance the spiritual and ethical values of its students, and to transform a diverse community of learners into future global leaders. The University currently enrolls more than 1,800 students and offers more than 30 degree programs, including accredited programs in athletic training, kinesiotherapy, social work, divinity, religious education, and teacher education.
History via shawu.edu and blackpast.org
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 06 TIMELINE: CIVIL RIGHTS + RALEIGH
1868 The first reports of the Ku Klux Klan being present in North Carolina.
From the General Negative Collection, State Archives of NC.
1933 As many as 2,500 African Americans gather for an NCAAP-sponsored event at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium to address inequality issues, specifically for teachers. FEBRUARY 10, 1958 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivers a speech in the auditorium of Broughton High School to an unsegregated crowd of approximately FEBRUARY 1, 1960 1,300 people (above). NATIONAL EVENT: The Greensboro Sit-In, a peaceful protest effort led by four African American college students in Greensboro, NC, gains national attention. They refuse to leave the “whites only” lunch counter of Woolworth’s after being denied service. FEBRUARY 12, 1960 Inspired by the events in Greensboro, 41 Shaw University & St. Augustine’s College students are arrested in Cameron Village in Raleigh after staging a sit-in at the F.W. Woolworth lunch counter (below).
NEWS & OBSERVER/NC STATE NEWS & OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 07 TIMELINE: CIVIL RIGHTS + RALEIGH
APRIL 1960 Shaw University student Ella Baker creates the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an organization which would later go on to organize the Freedom Rides and many black voting registration drives in the south. 1961
Photo by David Hoffman John Winters becomes the first African American to be elected to the Raleigh City Council. He would go on to be one of the first two African Americans to serve as a North Carolina State Senator.
AUGUST 2, 1962 Public swimming pools are closed in Raleigh after four black boys go swimming with two white friends at the segregated Pullen Park swimming pool (above). NOVEMBER 27, 1962 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr delivers a speech in Rocky Mount, NC. This speech is considered an early version of his "I Have A Dream" speech. JULY 31, 1966 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr speaks at Reynolds Coliseum to a crowd of 5,000 people (right). No state officials receive him. Instead, Raleigh City Councilman John Winters greets him at the airport and Shaw University president Dr. James Cheek introduces King at the event. The Ku Klux Klan marches on downtown Raleigh, beginning at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, in protest of King's visit (below).
PERRY AYCOCK AP
NEWS & OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 08 AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: RALEIGH ESTEY HALL
Built in 1874, it is the oldest surviving building on the Shaw University campus. It is the nation’s first dormitory built with the purpose of meeting the educational needs of African American women. It once housed SNCC founder Ella Baker and is now a stop on the Civil Rights Trail.
leigh isitRa via v Photo
E. HARGETT STREET
The street was home to the city’s principal African American business district from the 1910s through the 1960s. African American doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, real estate developers, barbers, and other retailers set up their businesses here. Some of these storefronts still exist today, such as the Delaney Building, the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows Building (current home of Landmark Tavern), and the Raleigh Furniture Building (current home of House of Swank).
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MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 09 AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES: RALEIGH MARTIN LUTHER KING JR MEMORIAL GARDENS
The nation’s first public park dedicated solely to King. It features a life- size statue of King, as well as a water monument honoring local civil rights contributors. It is also a stop on the Civil Rights y mpan ten Co Trail. The park is free and e Woo via Th Photo open to the public daily.
JOHN CHAVIS MEMORIAL PARK
This park served as a public recreation area for Raleigh’s African American residents during segregation with its ball fields, swimming pool, and picnic areas. It was named for John Chavis, a 19th century free African American teacher and minister. Today, you can still ride the 1923 historic Allan Herschell carousel.
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MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 10 RACIAL ROOTS OF ROCK & ROLL
In Memphis, African American singer Felicia Farrell finds fame after rock & roll music is popularized on "white" radio. But who were the real life pioneers of this music? And do they receive the credit they deserve in the history of rock & roll? BLACK HISTORY ROCK: A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ROCKSTARS
By Taylor Manley February 22, 2020 Excerpts from UnbowedOnline.com
When we think of early rock and roll, we immediately conjure up pictures of Elvis swinging his hips on The Ed Sullivan Show or Bill Haley performing "Rock Around the Clock" for the first time. However, many overlook the abundance of African-American artists that were the true pioneers of rock and roll as we know it. We all know that rock and roll’s origins derive from the rhythm and blues movement, but we forget to relate that to the black community who were driving the R&B movement of the 1940s and 50s. Although there were plenty of white musicians who helped popularize rock and roll, it was black artists who were creating the magic behind the scenes.
Chuck Berry paved the way for rock and roll with his blend of electric guitar and soulful blues that connected with audiences everywhere. His famous duck walk and showman status set the tone for what rock and roll would become. Rock and roll became music for the people, especially teenagers, who resonated with the spirits of unabashed freedom that rock and roll provided.
Chuck Berry in concert. Tony Frank/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images
Berry wasn’t the only pioneer for this new genre; legends like Fats Domino and Little Richard broke through the racial barriers to create music just as popular and influential as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, who we now know had re-recorded music originally written and performed by black artists and made them chart toppers. Despite the appropriation of R&B, black artists like Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard and Fats Domino used it to their advantage and established themselves as pioneers for rock and roll.
"It started out as rhythm and blues. There wasn't nobody playing it at the time but black Fats Domino, 1956. T... people — myself, Fats Domino, OU Chuck Berry. White kids B hat K A gs t N son at started paying more attention I t of Wh TH lis on. r play ers ou g a a p gh y to this music, white girls were tin as rou e rea you l th ag C ent tel ess going over to this music, they res you at m to rep uld h er co s? W sten needed somebody to come in tory oice a li ist? s ch ant layl ong u w r p there — like Elvis." s d yo you oul om w e fr - Little Richard Little Richard with Red Robinson, 1957. eiv Red Robinson Collection rec Excerpts via https://unbowedonline.com/2020/02/22/black-history-rock-a-celebration-of-african-american-rockstars/
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 11 RACIAL ROOTS OF ROCK & ROLL
However, rock and roll’s legacy is not limited to the influential male artists of the 1950s. Rock and Roll’s real roots trace back to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, also known as the godmother of rock and roll. Her distinctive guitar style combined with a mix of soulful blues and roots in gospel established the concoction that we know as rock and roll... By the 1950s, her popularity dwindled as white males began to dominate the rock and roll scene. However, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s legacy continued to live on through future artists. Sister Rosetta Tharpe in 1959. Harry Hammond/V&A Images/Getty Images From the aforementioned men that pioneered rock and roll, to the women who were about to burst onto the scene, Sister Rosetta Tharpe will always be recognized for her grand contribution to the genre. Etta James and Aretha Franklin also brought forth their own spin to rock and roll and showed us that women were just as talented, and even more so, than the popular male performers. These women showcased the immense talent emerging from African American women, pushing the boundaries of desegregation during the 1960s. Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, made her way into white radio stations with ease during a time where radio was heavily segregated. These incredible artists, male and female, led the way toward change and civil rights for all.
...One of the most influential rock artists of the
late 60s during the famous "hippie movement,"
and even of all time, was Jimi Hendrix. His
inventive guitar skills and innovative recording
style made Hendrix one of the most inspiring guitar players of all time. His substantial impact in rock set the course for a new generation of rock stars. Over the next few decades, other black artists ventured out into different territories and were no longer fixed into the blues genre. Tina Turner and Michael Jackson took inspiration from their roots in soul and blended it with the new pop scene... Although pop is an entirely separate genre from rock today, there was a point where most pop had deep roots in the early rock and roll and blues scenes... Jimi Hendrix in 1967. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Black legacy in rock and roll is not limited to the past, but much of rock and roll today is primarily dominated by white men. That is not to say that you cannot find incredible black rock artists now. Gary Clark Jr.'s influence comes from legendary artists such as B.B. King and Curtis Mayfield, creating a sound that is unorthodox in modern rock. He is bringing blues back into rock and roll and his sound is unprecedented...
Black artists have and always will shape the true rock sound; the melting pot of blues and soul with the dominance of an electric guitar. It is time that we recognize that rock and roll cannot be a singular medium, and that it needs to become even more diverse in order to open the doors to more trailblazers in rock and roll. Excerpts via https://unbowedonline.com/2020/02/22/black-history-rock-a-celebration-of-african-american-rockstars/
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 12 ROCK & ROLL ACTIVITY
In Memphis, Huey describes rock & roll as the music of his soul. What is the music of your soul? Name an REFLECT artist/band and song that speaks to who you are as a person or that touches your heart. Why do you connect with this music so deeply?
With a partner, share what each of you wrote about for the music of your soul. Does it have anything in common? Discuss with your partner SHARE how you discovered this artist or genre and how you came to love it.
On your own, write a scene about a character introducing the music of their soul to another character. What would be important to convey when they are describing this music? How might they convince someone else to give it a try? CREATE OR On your own, write lyrics for a new song in the style of the music of your soul. What can you express through words of this genre or artist's style? What message would you want a listener of this song to receive?
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 13 ROCK & ROLL ACTIVITY: THE MUSIC OF YOUR SOUL
NAME: ______OPTION 1
Once you've identified the music of your soul, write a scene about a character introducing the music of their soul to another character. What would be important to convey when they are describing this music? How might they convince someone else to give it a try? Use additional paper if needed.
Scene Title: ______Dialogue: ______
My scene's theme: ______
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 14 ROCK & ROLL ACTIVITY: THE MUSIC OF YOUR SOUL
NAME: ______OPTION 2
Once you've identified the music of your soul, write lyrics for a new song in the style of the music of your soul. What can you express through words of this genre or artist's style? What message would you want a listener of this song to receive? Use additional paper if needed.
Song Title: ______Lyrics: ______
My song's message: ______
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 15 MEDIA & INFLUENCE
MEDIA boiled down to its definition is plural of medium which is defined as the “agency or means of doing something.” The something in this instance is information. Media is defined then as the many platforms that we disperse information. The way we can share information can go from the smallest audience with one person writing a letter to one other person or to the largest, the internet, which can for all intents and purposes reach the whole world. When we look at media, it’s also interesting to consider who owns the information and how it is getting dispersed. Let’s look at media in all its form and look at who really holds the influence. PRINT
Around 500 BC it is believed that the first handwritten letter was from the Persian Queen Atossa. Letters were a way of doing business and sharing small bits of information that were often delivered by pigeons. In the United Kingdon in 1516, it is recorded that a “Master of Post” position was created. Recipients of the letters had to pay to receive the letter until 1837 when Sir Rowland Hill created the stamp that came into official use in 1840.
Please Mister Postman, look and see Is there a letter, a letter for me I've been standin' here waitin' Mister Postman So patiently, for just a card, or just a letter -- The Marvellettes, “Please Mr. Postman” (1961)
Letters are the simplest form of communication sent from one person and received by one person. Print evolved with the rise of the newspaper. The first newspaper is often credited to the Roman Acta Diurna which translates to “daily acts.” In its inception, Acta Diurna was created for the high-ranking and important politicians of the day. However, Julius Caeser realized that Acta Diurna could be used not only spread information, but influence public perception especially during war time. Acta Diurna was posted on the walls in the city of Rome so that citizens could read it as they went about their day.
You can read it in the Sunday papers Read it in the Sunday papers Sunday papers, don't ask no questions Sunday papers, don't get no lies Sunday papers, don't raise objections -- Joe Jackson, “Sunday papers” (1979)
The printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. With this invention, information could be produced and shared on a mass scale. Often, the printing press has been hailed as one of the most important inventions of all time. Newspapers, books, and other print material was able to be printed and shared for less money and on a wider scale. This led to more people learning to read and becoming more educated citizens. News was dispersed in single events and small pamphlets up until 1640 when it started to appear more closely to what know to be a newspaper today. However, it wasn’t until the first daily newspaper in England was the The Daily Courant.
Throughout history, newspaper and the news we receive have been influenced by the people and entities owning those papers. An example of this was in the 1890s, when two newspaper giants, William Randolph Hearts and Joseph Pulitzer engaged in what became known as yellow journalism. Yellow journalism is the term that refers to sensationalized news that relies more on sensation than facts.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 16 MEDIA & INFLUENCE RADIO
Let's hope you never leave old friend Like all good things on you we depend So stick around 'cause we might miss you When we grow tired of all this visual You had your time, you had the power You've yet to have your finest hour Radio (radio) -- Queen, ”Radio Ga Ga” (1984)
There is debate on when and who first invented the radio. In St. Louis in 1893, Nikolai Tesla gave a public demonstration of his newest invention. However, it is often the Italian inventor Guiglielmo Marconi who is most often credited as the inventor of the radio. Marconi received a patent for wireless telegraphy in England in 1896. Tesla was granted a patent in the US in 1900, but Marconi became the first person to transmit signals across the Atlantic Ocean often cementing his place as the father of the radio. Shortly after World War I ended, radios started to be bought for private use and radio news made its appearance in the 1920s. News and broadcasting companies that are still prevalent today were being founded, for instance BBC (British Broadcasting Chanel), AT&T, NBC, and CBS.
By 1940, over 80% of homes owned a radio and listened regularly. Through World War II, the radio held a prominent place and was used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to reach families and homes directly with what became known as fireside chats. Before the war, radios often played programs much like tv shows today that told stories and built off of them each episode. It wasn’t until after the war, that radios started to play music popular at the time with “top 40” music.
In an issue of Variety Magazine in 1941, Disc Jockey or DJ was used for the first time to describe a radio presenter. This name stuck and continues to describe on-air personalities.
One particular DJ that came to fame was Alan Freed who is often described as the “father of rock ‘n roll”. According to alanfreed.com, a writer said of Alan that “he coined the phrase rock ‘n roll and not only sparked the trend but fanned it into a flame.” Freed DJs had a personal connection to their listeners and could speak right to their audience. In this sense, DJs were the first social influencers. Previously, media was set in stone or print, and the audience could decide how to receive the information. With radio DJs, their opinions, and suggestions, and ideas Alan Freed. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives were broadcast directly into the hearts and minds of their listeners.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 17 MEDIA & INFLUENCE TELEVISION
In 1939, public television arrived in America, and it changed everything about how media was consumed. In the 1940s, more and more Americans began to buy televisions for their homes as a way to receive news about World War II. Full-scale commercial television broadcasting began in the US in 1947, and by 1955, 50% of American households had a black & white tv.
Politicians used television as a way to influence voters. Because candidates were able to be both seen and heard, it made conveying their message to large numbers of people at one time more direct than ever before. The first television advertisements came in the form of presidential campaign ads in the 1950s, forever changing the political game. In the 1960s, Americans watched the first televised presidential debates.
Beginning in the 1950s, variety shows paved the way for the development of the late-night talk show. Westerns, sitcoms, and game shows also gained popularity during this time period and influenced popular opinion.
Video killed the radio star Video killed the radio star
In my mind and in my car We can't rewind, we've gone too far Pictures came and broke your heart Put the blame on VCR
-- The Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star" (1979)
By the beginning of the 1960s, 52 million television sets were in American households, and color broadcasting became more mainstream. Television overtook print as the main source of news media, and television journalism careers took off. As tv became widely accessible, major national moments played out before people's eyes -- the Kennedy assassination, the events of the civil rights movement, the first man on the moon. Historians suggest that the direct news coverage and footage of the Vietnam War played an integral role in the shaping of the national dissatisfaction of the war, which eventually led to the well-known anti-war protests of the time.
In the 1970s, American viewers saw more women featured on television. Barbara Walters was the first female co-anchor for a network newscast. Old, derogatory stereotypes of female characters were challenged as supporters of the feminist movement demanded more fair and equal representation on television. Today, 42% of major characters on television are female.
America continued to see the television trend grow by the decade. By the late 1990s, 98% of American households had at least one television set. TV is considered to have had a tremendous impact on trends and cultural influence in the US, and today is no exception.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 18 MEDIA & INFLUENCE SOCIAL MEDIA
SOCIAL MEDIA: Websites and/or apps that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking
2002 2011 1997 2004 2016 2006
2005 1999 2010 2003
2013
In 2019, it was reported that 79% of Americans have a social media profile. No matter the platform, there is no question that in today's world, social media & influence go hand in hand. In general, studies have reported that younger people tend to be impacted more by social media trends than older adults. Now, social media isn't just about connecting to people we know -- it's how we get our news, how we find jobs, and how we find a significant other.
A huge component of the internet age is that it makes content available to nearly anyone in the world almost instantly. It is accessible to everyone, and in this way, you don't have to be a large corporation in order to make a channel, page, or post. This is seen most notably in the "viral video" phenomenon. Today, we see social media influencers emerge from all platforms, and terms like "YouTube star" and "Insta-Famous" have become everyday vernacular. Average users can go from casual poster to celebrity status almost overnight, complete with millions of followers around the globe, paid sponsors, and opportunities to launch careers, build product lines, or market their brand.
Can you guys help me pick a filter?
I don't know if I should go with XX Pro or Valencia I wanna look tan
What should my caption be? I want it to be clever -- The Chainsmokers, "#SELFIE" (2013)
Trends in the latest music, fashion, exercise, beauty, entertainment, and slang have all been born out of the social media age. In addition, social media influencers wield the power to bring awareness and attention to issues, causes, movements, and current events. It is almost impossible in the year 2020 to not be influenced by social media in some way.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 19 MEDIA & INFLUENCE ACTIVITY
In Memphis, Huey is able to influence what music people listen to, what products people buy, and even what words people use just by REFLECT being on the radio. Who on social media influences you today? Why do you look up to them? How do they influence your life?
With a partner, share what each of you wrote about for social media influencers. Together, brainstorm a list of topics, issues, trends, or causes SHARE you think social media personalities have an impact on in our world today.
By yourself, think about if you had your own social media empire with millions of followers, what message or cause would you want to spread? What would you use your platform CREATE to say? Choose a platform (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) and then create a profile as a social media influencer, including a username, bio, and at least three examples of your content or posts.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 20 MEDIA & INFLUENCE ACTIVITY: SOCIAL MEDIA EMPIRE
NAME: ______If you had your own social media empire with millions of followers, what message or cause would you want to spread? My platform (Instagram, Youtube, etc): ______My cause or message: ______Username: ______Bio: ______Create a storyboard of three examples of content or posts on your social media profile that will influence others to join or support your cause or message. Include relevant information like titles, captions, hashtags, etc. Use additional paper if needed.
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 21 LOVING V. VIRGINIA
HUEY: See, I guess I'm tired of sneaking around with you, like -- like you was a bad thing. These two years with you -- they been the best ever. So I guess what I'm trying to say is -- Would you be the woman to pick out my clothes for the rest of my life? Marry me. FELICIA: Get up, Huey, now. Now. You really talkin' crazy. How we gonna get married? There are laws. HUEY: So we go on a trip up north, get hitched, come back... FELICIA: And then do what? Live together in secret? [...] HUEY: Alright, answer me this. Pretend we don't got none of them crazy laws in Tennessee -- pretend two grown adults can marry who they like. Then would you marry me?
Memphis tells the story of white DJ Huey and black artist Felicia as they navigate the music world in 1950s Tennessee. At the time, Huey and Felicia’s budding romance is against the law and dangerous. For another 17 years, Tennessee’s laws would include an anti-miscegenation law that enforced segregation by criminalizing both interracial intimate relationships and marriages. UNLAWFUL LOVE
Miscegenation comes from the Latin words miscere which translates to “to mix’ and genus which translates to “family or descent”. These laws have had a long and painful place in American history with the last law (while technically unenforceable) was still part of the Alabama legislature until as late as 2000.
In 1664, Maryland passed the first anti-miscegenation law banning white women and enslaved black men from marrying. “The law directly addressed white women, who "forgetful of their free condition and to the disgrace of our Nation do intermarry with Negro slaves” (Teen Vogue). In 1691, the Commonwealth of Virginia passed a sweeping law that banned marriage between any two races. Virginia continued to add to their law in 1705, stating that that not only would the punishment be exile (which sometimes meant death), the minister who performed the crimes would be fined, and the informant of such crimes would receive rewards of up to £10,000. This essentially ensured neighbors had incentives to report these “crimes.”
Pennsylvania became the first state to repeal its anti-miscegenation law in 1780 as a move towards abolishing slavery. It wasn’t until 80 years later that the next state, Massachusetts repealed their anti-miscegenation law. However, these laws started to be reinstated mostly in the Southern states again in the 1800s.
At the end of Reconstruction in the late 1800s, miscegenation laws, which had been struck by some Southern states, were reinstated. In fact, according to The New Republic, there were more miscegenation laws in place in 1900 than in 1875. Discourse around mixed-race relationships evolved to consider new populations to the U.S., like between Asian immigrants and white people. Those caught breaking these rules faced fines, imprisonment, or death at the hands of vigilante mobs” (Teen Vogue).
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 22 LOVING V. VIRGINIA
In 1963, in an article by Robert E. Lee (not that one, a different one) with the North Carolina state bar association, it stated, "Six states, including North Carolina, have regarded the matter of such importance they have by constitutional provisions prohibited their legislatures from passing any law legalizing marriages between Negroes and white persons. The present Constitution of North Carolina says such marriages 'are forever prohibited.'" While still too late, it was only another 4 years that this law remained in effect.
In 1967 the Supreme Court finally ruled that anti-micegenation laws were in direct violation to the 14th amendment. It was the case of Loving V. Virgina. The plaintiffs in the case were "Under our Constitution, the freedom to Richard and Mildred Loving, a marry, or not marry, a person of another white man and black woman who had gotten married in Washington, race resides with the individual, and DC but faced trouble when they cannot be infringed by the State." returned to their home state of Virginia. Their marriage was
deemed illegal according to -- Chief Justice Earl Warren Virginia state law. With the help of (June 12, 1967) the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Lovings appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that so-called “anti-miscegenation” statutes were unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. The decision is often cited as a watershed moment in the dismantling of 'Jim Crow' race laws (history.com). In an article published in 2017, 50 years after the Loving vs. Virginia case, Pew Research Center reported on interracial marriage. “In 2015, 17% of all U.S. newlyweds had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity, marking more than a fivefold increase since 1967, when 3% of newlyweds were intermarried. More broadly, one-in-ten married people in 2015 – not just those who recently married – had a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. This translates into 11 million people who were intermarried. The growth in intermarriage has coincided with shifting societal norms as Americans have become more accepting of marriages involving spouses of different races and ethnicities, even within their own families.”
SOURCES: sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/blackhistory/pdfs/Miscegenation%20laws.pdf www.teenvogue.com/story/miscegenation-laws-in-the-united-states-explained www.thoughtco.com/interracial-marriage-laws-721611 www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement/loving-v-virginia www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/05/18/intermarriage-in-the-u-s-50-years-after-loving-v-virginia/
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 23 CULTURAL APPROPRIATION VS. APPRECIATION
In Memphis, Delray tells Huey, "It ain’t the music of your soul, baby. It’s the music of my soul. And my soul don’t want your soul stealin’ none of my music." Later, Delray further explains to Huey, "But you ain’t lived this music! You ain’t made this music! It ain’t your music to take!" The show raises serious questions about the line between borrowing and stealing from another culture. Today these same questions exist in music, fashion, hairstyles, and even slang. So, what is cultural appropriation, and how do we know if we’re crossing the line?
WHY IT MATTERS
(The following article was taken from greenheart.org. Greenheart is a leader in cultural exchange and fair trade -- connecting thousands of people around the world through travel and ethical shopping.)
By Kelsey Holmes, Greenheart Club Program Assistant
Cultural exchange and appreciation are the core values of Greenheart Club. Learning to understand a culture that is different than your own is so important in becoming a global citizen and leader. Through our participants, we’ve heard so many wonderful stories of people of different backgrounds coming together to exchange ideas through service.
It is important to understand, however, that there is a difference between appreciation and appropriation. APPRECIATION is when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross- culturally. APPROPRIATION on the other hand, is simply taking one aspect of a culture that is not your own and using it for your own personal interest. Appropriation could mean of purchasing a piece of jewelry or clothing that may have important cultural significance to that culture, but simply using it as a fashion statement. It could be taking a photo of a ritual ceremony simply for the sake of getting as many likes on Facebook as possible. Regardless, taking a part of another culture without understanding what it truly means can be harmful not only to those whose culture you are using but also to those with whom you share it.
So, how can you explore and take part in a culture without exploiting it for your own use? Here are a few great ways!
Article via https://greenheart.org/blog/greenheart-international/cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation-why-it-matters/
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 24 CULTURAL APPROPRIATION VS. APPRECIATION EXAMINE YOUR OWN CULTURE. Through self-reflection, you will be better able to understand differences and determine what is important in cultures across the world. If you realize that a specific aspect of your own cultural background is central to your identity, and it would offend you if someone were to use it without 1 understanding fully what it means, consider that people all over the world, in cultures other than your own, may feel exactly the same way. THINK ABOUT: Would I be offended if someone wore an important religious symbol from my culture without understanding what it truly means? LISTEN FIRST. One of the best ways to understand and appreciate another culture is by listening to those who are a part of the fabric of that society. Listen to their stories, understand the implications behind the 2aspects of their culture that you are interested in, and use that understanding to broaden your worldview.
I recently purchased a beautiful piece of handmade jewelry. Did I listen to the artist who created the piece to learn more about his or her background, what their THINK ABOUT: work means to them, and how it fits into the culture of that place? If not, I may be appropriating instead of appreciating. CONSIDER CONTEXT.
What does a certain symbol mean to a particular culture? When and where is it appropriate to use it? Understanding what the various aspects of a culture are and what they mean are so 3important. If you truly have an interest in a person’s life, more than likely, they will be happy to share with you the things that matter to them.
Did I just take a piece of someone’s culture to use for my own benefit, without THINK ABOUT: knowing the significance behind it? Did I ask about the origins of the custom, item, or symbol? This is so important in understanding and appreciating a culture. SHARE YOUR OWN CULTURE.
The most important part of cultural exchange – and what best distinguishes it from appropriation is that exchange is mutual. Through appreciation and exchange, you are able to share something 4about yourself, learn something about someone else, and partake in a mutual understanding of one another’s background and culture.
Am I equally interested in sharing a piece of my own language, food, customs, and THINK ABOUT: traditions? Chances are, this person is just as excited to learn about my culture as I am about theirs. What an incredible part of cultural exchange and appreciation!
Article via https://greenheart.org/blog/greenheart-international/cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation-why-it-matters/
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 25 CULTURAL APPROPRIATION VS. APPRECIATION
Still unsure? Use the infographic below to check yourself and make sure that you are respecting and appreciating other cultures in an appropriate way!
Article via https://greenheart.org/blog/greenheart-international/cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation-why-it-matters/
MEMPHIS Study Guide Page 26