“Targeted by Who?” America?: How Hip-Hop Exposed Systemic Racism withing the US Criminal Justice System | Synaptic

“Targeted by Who?” America?: How Hip-Hop Exposed Systemic Racism withing the US Criminal Justice System By Kelsea Hurley ’23 LAS 410: Rap, Hip-Hop, and Decolonizing the Classroom The scope of this paper encapsulates key aspects of systemic racism and the integration of hip-hop while highlighting the main components of this LAS 410 course. For the final research paper, students focus on their area of interest, whether embedded in their major or intended career field. This student targeted the U.S. criminal justice system as they are now working on their master’s in that area of study. The paper illustrated many specific lyrical and cultural examples highlighting the interrelatedness of hip-hop music from the 1970s to the present. The history of oppression is retold through hip-hop in ways the author focuses on in many illustrations throughout the paper. The student writes, “Because of this, hip-hop artists are presented with a huge opportunity to educate those who are blind to the injustices that exist.” Hip-hop continues to play an integral role in giving voice to the voiceless and power to the oppressed. -Dr. Sarah Van Waardhuizen Abstract The U.S. criminal justice system has subjected Black Americans to countless decades of injustice and unequal...