Black History Month Video pick

song: "History" by Jay Z

Questions to my subscribers: Was  the election of Obama the beginning of a new era? Or maybe an indicator that we are post-race? What does black history look like today?

What kind of name is Che??!

More specifically, what kind of name is Che for a rapper?

Che "Rhymefest" Smith, named for the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, addressed the matter, stating:

"When you have a name, a real name, like Che, it's definitely something, whether you want to or not, something that you have to live up to. How could I be named Che and then do all songs about dancing in the club and who got the fattest ass? That would be an oxymoron to who I am. I think there's something very important in a name. So I think when we name ourselves and name our children, I think we have to think about what the future will look like. I named my son Solomon, and when people look at him they say, "Oh, Solomon, the wise king," and I think he's growing into that role. It's evident even in hip-hop. You see people who are Lil' this and Young that. What do they do? They act just like their name dictates."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhymefest

I had the pleasure of meeting Che Smith (who is running for Alderman of Chicago's 20th Ward) and some of his colleagues today at a panel discussion hosted by the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN) at the University of Chicago. The topic was Hip Hop, Spirituality and the Politics of Change, also featuring were Brother Ali, Cap D, Jacinda Bullie, & Suad Abdul-Khabeer.

It was a very enlightening experience about a  topic I think about often. It actually reminded me a lot of a speech I presented last summer at the Act Six National Conference, but the difference was that my audience and I were operating under a lot of Christian worldview assumptions. The guest speakers in this conversation all recognized and seemed to influenced by the Christian context of America  but identified as Muslim. This was a refreshing opportunity to think about how diverse America and the Hip Hop community is.

Hip Hop is a name like Che. It is well-known around the world and just as controversial as it is popular. It defines and is redefined by every generation to which it is passed down.

Where does your name come from? What will you name your children?