RA #2- Morgan

 "From Fly-Girls To Bitches and hos" is Joan Morgan's attempt to spread awareness of how rap and hip-hop is affecting the black community and how women are buying into the sham of idolizing these deeply troubled men. Being a woman, black, feminists and a fan of rap music gives Morgan an extremely credible view on the intricacies of the rap community including their cause and affect on the black community. She speaks about responsibility; how and why these rapper's lyrics represent their true feeling and attitudes as well as how women react to fame and fortune, throwing away all sense of pride and compassion. Morgan is speaking to anyone affected or offended by these rappers, to bring to light how complex and underestimated these problems are in all communities. That the shallow insults are simply a cover up for deep, concise issues that has taken hold of the rap community in the form of self perpetuation.

Morgan gives us a small eyewitness to how her views are credible and well researched based on the terminology she uses. We know now that she is from the very community she is talking about and that she has and friends and family involved in the dangerous rap world being used or abused in some way shape or form. She does an excellent job in explaining to the audience how she is hurt by the lack of compassion in her community and how her love doesn't seem to be reciprocated by her "brothers" and "sistas". She explains "[y]eah, sistas are hurt when we hear brothers calling us bitches and hos. But the real crime isn't in the name calling, it's their failure to love us- to be our brothers in the way that we commit ourselves to being their sistas" (604). This magnified views of the lack of chemistry between these men and women is a root problem according to Morgan, it highlights a fact that many people seem to not recognize while listening to their albums, "Any man who doesn't truly love himself is incapable of loving us in the healthy way we need to be loved." (604). The fact that Morgan exemplifies this common tend in black rappers speaks volumes to their character and why they do what they do, an integral piece to the self perpetuation of their problems. This brings the reader to an understanding of where Morgan is coming from and gives a brief window to where she wants to take this argument in an attempt to provide a solution. This is important because it is not a govt official making broad generalizations on issues he has no knowledge on, but an involved activist that truly wants to help using her obvious expertise.

The use of emotional appeals is evident and mandatory in this piece in order to convey the reality of the black community in what they've been through to what they are going through. Morgan centralizes on how the common enemy of her community is not who they are fighting, they are fighting against each other in a war with no end in sight before a change in the priorities of those involved. She states "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of black two-parent households has decreased from 74 percent to 48 percent since 1960. The leading cause of death among black men ages fifteen to twenty-four is homicide. the majority of them will die at the hand of other black men"(602). Depressing figures convey the reality of this war the black community is so involved in and her obvious hatred for it. She is speaking out to the world in this article but really wants to hit home for those involved in this war and try to spark a realistic hatred for it in others.

Another aspect of Morgans writing is her use of cause and effect for the women involved in these rappers lives and how they are not only hurting themselves but helping refuel this self-destructive cycle. Morgan explains that the rappers use these women to hide their pain and true struggles and that they are more than happy to oblige, she explains "Backstage, the road, and the hood are populated with women who would do anything to be with a rapper sexually for an hour if not a night."(605). She sees these women going after what they want and doesn't criticize them for that, its for the self humiliation they put themselves through in order to get what they want she has a problem with. She has a problem with degrading all women by perpetuating this idolization and fascination with these men by doing absurd and ridiculous things that make rules for other women as to what is acceptable and what is successful which in turn simplifies all women and turns them into objects just for an individual's success for a night or a day or a week. This all centralizes around the war the black community is facing, Morgan wants to stop the root of this problem by making women aware of what their sacrifice does to all women and what they really gain from it.

I enjoyed this piece and learned a significant amount from it. It is an important front that Morgan is facing and I support her movement. Anyone who reads this article will walk away a bit more educated and understanding. I really like the idea of understanding the demographic of this country just a little bit more,  considering it is the most complicated and layered collection of people in history, provides a new insight every time you are given a new perspective, and I don't plan on letting it go to waste.