Junior Joe Clemons said he wants students to be exposed to the positive messages and role models of hip-hop culture.
"There's another side of hip-hop that isn't really shown on television," he said.
To show that positive side, Clemons, vice president of the Black Media Association, organized a screening of the documentary "The Hip Hop Project" for students at Ball State University.
The documentary, which is about 85 minutes long, tells the story of a formerly homeless teenager in New York City who inspires a group of his peers to use hip-hop to foster personal discovery and improve their lives. Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah were executive producers for "The Hip Hop Project" and the documentaryis only available to watch through screening events, such as this one, Clemons said.
The Black Media Association will show the film at 7 p.m. today in Pruis Hall. Clemons said he will moderate a 30-minute discussion after the movie featuring panelists Tolu Olorunda, a columnist for allhiphop.com, and Sheron Fraser-Burgess, an assistant professor of multicultural education at Ball State.
"We want the audience to be highly involved," he said. "There's no set format or list of topics; it's kind of open."
Clemons, a telecommunications major, said hip-hop isn't only about the misogynistic, violent culture that is often portrayed in media.
The music inspired him to write poetry and read books he never would have heard about in class. Through hip-hop, Clemons said he learned how to control his emotions and express them in a creative way.
"A lot of the times people that created hip-hop didn't have a voice, so this is an art form where we're able to say what we wanted to say in the rawest form and let people know what we're going through," he said.
For example, Clemons said rap group N.W.A made the rest of the country aware of issues people in South Los Angeles had to live with, such as police brutality and gang violence, with the release of their CD "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988.
"[Hip-hop] has been able to spread a message that many people didn't want to be heard," he said.
Clemons said hip-hop artists today, such as Mos Def and Common, have intelligent, relevant stories to tell, they just don't get as much air play as mainstream hip-hop artists. That's why more of a balance is needed between the negative and positive aspects of hip-hop culture, he said.
"I don't think negativity in itself is wrong; in many ways it can be good to help you learn from situations," Clemons said. "When it's a misrepresentation of what the whole culture is, then it's wrong."
Attending the screening of "The Hip Hop Project" is free. Event organizers hope to have popcorn for audience members, Clemons said.
What: Chance to watch a screening of "The Hip Hop Project," a documentary about a group of New York City teenagers who transform their lives through hip hop music. A discussion featuring panelists Tolu Olorunda, a columnist for allhiphop.com, and Sheron Fraser-Burgess, a multicultural education assistant professor at Ball State, will follow the film.
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Pruis Hall
Who: Sponsored by Ball State's Black Media Association and the NAACP
Why: To highlight the positive aspects of hip hop culture and open up a dialogue among students at Ball State
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