REPERTORY WITH ROOTS: Black Youth, Black History, Black Culture, Black Music and the Bible Richelle B. White, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Youth Ministry Director of Youth Ministry Field Practicum Kuyper College—Grand Rapids, Michigan [email protected] Abstract Repertory with Roots: Black Youth, Black History, Black Culture, Black Music and the Bible is a pedagogy of engagement whose goal is to educate for discipleship, specifically Christian Wisdom Formation. It is a model of teaching focused on connecting teaching and learning with the overall experiences of Black youth. It addresses the practical pedagogical challenge faced by the Black church, relevance. Repertory with Roots is a theoretically sound pedagogy that meets youth in their historical, cultural and musical context. It moves beyond the prevailing comfort zone of Black churches, offering real, relevant and relational ministry with Black youth. The author of this paper holds copyright protection of their work. 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Introduction “Repertory with Roots: Black Youth, Black History, Black Culture, Black Music and the Bible,” is an extension of my dissertation research project entitled, “Wholly Hip-Hop: A Pedagogy of Engagement for Christian Education with African American Youth.” The dissertation introduced the reader to the “Wholly Hip-Hop Pedagogy of Engagement,” a pedagogical model of Christian education that seeks to 1) provide a systematic critical examination of Hip-Hop music as a pedagogical tool for ministry with African American youth, 2) develop a pedagogy of Christian education for discipleship that incorporates and uses Hip-Hop music as a ministry tool, 3) presentation of a coherent “real” youth ministry model for today’s Black church that results in the youth’s discipleship for Christian Wisdom Formation. While the Wholly Hip-Hop Pedagogy has the potential to contribute to the field of youth ministry and Christian education, it has limitations. The limitations are 1) it only considers Hip-Hop music as a pedagogical tool, 2) not all African American youth are fans of Hip-Hop music, 3) the musical shift that is taking place within Hip-Hop culture questions the potential of Hip-Hop to educate for Christian discipleship. This musical shift has motivated and encouraged me to re-envision and expand the Wholly Hip-Hop Pedagogy of Engagement to the Repertory with Roots Pedagogy of Engagement. I define the term “Repertory with Roots” as a designated ontological niche wherein lies sources for African American youth’s identity formation. This niche 2 is comprised of but not limited to four important elements—Black History, Black Culture, Black Music and the Bible. These four elements are encapsulated into a holistic educational framework that educates as discipleship for Christian Wisdom Formation. Hip-Hop’s Musical Shift The musical shift that is occurring in Hip-Hop music has caused a shift in my thinking regarding the usefulness of using Hip-Hop music to educate youth in discipleship. In recent months, Hip-Hop artists have referred to Historical African American leaders in derogatory, denigrating and disrespectful ways. For example, rap artist Nicki Minaj, superimposed a photo of Civil Rights and Black Muslim leader Malcolm X, looking out of a window of his home, with a rifle in hand trying to defend his wife and children from firebombs while under federal surveillance. Overlaid on the photo is the title of Minaj’s new song, “Lookin’ Ass Nigga” which attacks the reputation of Black men and repeats the N-word forty two times. Following this pattern, rapper Lil Wayne recorded a verse using the name of Emmett Till, a fourteen year old Black boy who was murdered in 1955 after supposedly whistling at a white woman. He was beaten, shot and thrown into the river with a cotton gin tied around his neck. Till is known as a civil rights martyr. Wayne’s lyrics on his song “Karate Chop,” uses Till’s name as a sexual metaphor comparing the beating of Till to rough sex. Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons posted a parody “sex tape” video of Underground Railroad leader 3 Harriet Tubman having sex with her white slave master as someone films it, so the abolitionist can bribe her boss. In each of these instances, the Hip-Hop icons were reprimanded for their offensive actions and their disregard for Black history. Minaj apologized to Malcolm X’s family; she was in disbelief by the uproar that resulted for her actions. Lil Wayne wrote to the Till family acknowledging the hurt he caused and that he had received a letter from the Till family attorney. Simmons received a call from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and later publicly apologized. Apologies serve as Band-Aids that cover wounds that have been inflicted as a result of foolish decisions made by the Hip-Hop community. Oftentimes the choices they make offend and dishonor the families and loved ones who the African American community holds in high esteem. The words and actions perpetrated by Minaj, Wayne, Simmons and unnamed others reflect a lack of wisdom—the ability to make sound choices and good decisions. Wisdom is intelligence shaped by experience. It is information softened by understanding, and according to Christian educators Anne Streaty Wimberly and Evelyn L. Parker, wisdom is scarce.1 1 Anne Streaty Wimberly and Evelyn L. Parker. In Search of Wisdom: Faith Formation in the Black Church. (Nashville: Abingdon, 2002), 12. 4 Definitions of Wisdom and Christian Wisdom Formation The text In Search of Wisdom: Faith Formation in the Black Church states that African American Christian educators must focus on wisdom formation in our faith communities. Wisdom in the African American tradition is not simply knowledge; rather it is those insights, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and practices that creates and sustains a life of hope and that produce an inherent sense of worth in oneself. Wisdom formation is a process of discipleship. As a process, one must decipher how to embrace a life of commitment to Jesus Christ and act conscientiously in light of that commitment. 2 It is deliberate and takes place throughout the course of one’s life. From a Christian perspective, wisdom teaches us that the most important foundation we build in life is moral character that honors God. Christian Wisdom Formation is rooted in our knowledge and experience of who God is in our lives. To aid in this understanding of who God is and how God acts in the lives of people, particular attention to the process of discipleship and its function in the lives of African American youth will be explored. The specific approach of Christian Wisdom Formation is a process of discipleship that is appropriate, relevant and clearly needed in this present era. Discipleship is a way of living that follows the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Disciples are learners, who follow Christ, desiring to learn Christ’s ways and apply those ways to their lives. 2 Ibid., 12-13. 5 According to Wimberly and Parker, Christian Wisdom Formation is a continual exploration that calls persons to acknowledge that the ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ are perpetually reborn in one’s life.3 The wisdom formation of youth is essential to the discipleship process because it equips them with an awareness and understanding of who they are as followers of Jesus Christ. Wisdom formation is thus a key element of both contextualized education and the development of one’s voice. I contend that “Repertory with Roots” is a key part of context and voice for African American youth today in youth ministry that is relevant. It is an important component in discipleship education. Christian Wisdom Formation is an avenue for youth to grow in their understanding of what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ through intentional reflection and engagement with the elements of “Repertory with Roots”—Black History, Black Culture, Black Music and the Bible. Goals and Methods of Discipleship Education as Christian Wisdom Formation This model of discipleship education as Christian Wisdom Formation for African American youth is organized around five goals—belief formation, ethical embodiment, theological grounding, character development and historical enlightenment. The goal of belief formation focuses on the youth’s development of a head and heart knowledge of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The goal of ethical embodiment involves ethical 3 Ibid., 12-13. 6 decision making which leads to the personification of what a person believes and why he or she should act on it. The goal of theological grounding is the youth’s development of a framework within which they understand the relationship between God, themselves and all of humanity. The goal of character development involves defining one’s fundamental values, prioritizing and living out one’s moral principles on a daily basis. The goal of historical enlightenment is to help youth understand the Black experience and assist youth in retelling the stories of African Diasporic People. The aforementioned goals provide direction for the “Repertory with Roots Pedagogy of Engagement,” as well as point to expected outcomes. The common theme that brings the vision and goals together is the use of critical thinking and awareness, and moving from oppression to liberation. It is my aim to help African American youth move from being mindless consumers of music and culture to serious advocates of hope and liberation in today’s and tomorrow’s world. To exert influence in this area, critical thinking and awareness must be driven by inquiry. Questions must be generated, taken seriously and serve as a driving force in the process of thinking.