The South Side is a quietly powerful story of how a white; middle-class; and largely Jewish neighborhood; built from prairie on Chicagos far South Side in the optimistic years after World War II; rapidly and dramatically changed to a middle-class black community in the 1960s. It is a tale of two communities that collided almost by accident at a moment in Americas history when race relations were starting to explode; and the profound impact this wrenching collision had on the lives of families and individuals on both sides of the event; a tale of how dreams were both realized and shattered in the confrontation between moral courage; spiritual ethics; and personal fears. The story is told in memoir and oral narrative by fifteen composite charactersmdash;two generations of former and current residents of the community; both Jewish and African American. Louis Rosen has made nothing up: the memories; thoughts; and feelings of the characters reflect exactly what was spoken during his extensive interviews. The names are fictional; but The South Side is essentially a work of nonfiction. It speaks to universal concerns: what it is like to grow up as part of a group that is outside the mainstream of American life; why the search for home is so difficult in late-twentieth-century America. The South Side is a story without obvious heroes or villains. It transcends the boundaries of specific individuals; place; and time to offer a vivid description of a struggle that is still very much a part of American life; and one that is likely to be with us for some time to come.
#1146038 in eBooks 2005-08-01 2005-08-01File Name: B009U9S6QW
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. interesting bookBy sharon parkeragain. another book i purchased for my daughter. college prof assigned it. she is also studying communications and hip-hop within the youth today. she liked it. and still has it. years later.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Hip Hop. Indeed. MattersBy Sandria M. WashingtonWhen comedian Michael "Kramer" Richards went on his infamous November 2006 `racial tirade--spewing venomous racist epithets. notably the `n-word. at two Black hecklers--an explosion of video downloading and heated debate ensued around the world. Within the Black community the `n-word was once again put under our cultural microscope. Not only did we look to Black comedians and civic leaders like Rev. Jesse Jackson for guidance. we also looked to hip hop and our beloved rappers. Counsel was sought from various members of the hip-hop community. including the deceased where even Tupacs n-bomb-filled lyrics were scrutinized. If hip-hops elite--the tastemakers and trendsetters known for perpetuating the use of the `n-word in pop culture--could agree on the fate of the `n-word the issue would be settled. Perhaps this assumption oversimplifies a complex debate. but it justifiably recognizes hip hop has a voice. Hip hop has power. Hip hop matters.In his latest critical analysis of hip hop. Hip Hop Matters: Politics. Pop Culture. and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. author and associate professor S. Craig Watkins further advances this message of hip hops importance and influence. Far from a dry chronology through the history of hip hop. Hip Hop Matters is a passionate study of hip hops rise to power and what those within the movement and beyond have done (and in some cases. have not done) with that power. Watkins well-executed mixture of hip-hop nostalgia and historical facts makes his text poised for recommended reading for both pop culture enthusiasts and hip-hop activists.In Part One: Pop Culture and the Struggle for Hip Hop. Watkins illustrates how hip hop and its breakout star. rap music. went from underground obscurity in the late 70s to a dominant musical and cultural force by the late 90s. Rap quickly became an economic boon and hip hop was uprooted from the streets to corporate suites. Hip hop gained commercial success. but at what cost?Part Two: Politics and the Struggle for Hip Hop unearths the more serious social responsibilities of hip hop and the inherent challenges of hip hop as a political movement. The hip hop movement includes people of all ages. races and economic standings--the very things that typically segregate people when it comes to politics. Hip hop does not have one voice. so ultimately. what causes does it speak for and on whose behalf? Hip hop continues to struggle with identity issues. including misogynistic lyrics and soft-core porn imagery that have become so customary of the genre.Through it all. Watkins remains hopeful of hip hops future. Hip hop is the music of the youth--influencing how they speak. dress. think and live. Watkins is confident that hip hop matters and will always matter because hip hop culture will continue to inspire youth to change their world.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Wide-ranging history and social contextBy Ellen HamptonAn excellent primer on all aspects of hip hop. from the early history to social and political context of mid-2000s. A follow-up volume would be great to continue through to today. Is hip hop fading? Some of the areas of tension Watkins identifies. between the older RB generation and the young rebels of rap. or racial tension that surfaced around the rise of Eminem. are arguably no longer in play. Rap has been picked up by alienated youth the world over. from Russia to South Korea to Italy. with each culture shaping the wordstream around their own issues. It would be interesting to have a look at that. see how far from the roots rap has gone. At any rate this book was very helpful to me in preparing part of my class on History of Music and Social Change (Sciences Po. Paris).
