Professor Michael Dyson at the University of Pennsylvania taught Religious Studies 113 this year with a singular focus: "Searching for Black Jesus: Tupac Shakur, Black Masculinity and the Politics of Race":
From the course catalogue:
Tupac Shakur was one of the most gifted and controversial figures of this generation. Poet, hip hop artist, actor, social critic and urban griot, he was a ghetto saint who evoked adoration and attack, nearly in the same breath. This course will examine the cultural, racial and religious significance of Shakur's life and thought. We will also probe the artistic, aesthetic and rhetorical dimensions of his craft. We will use Shakur as a lens through which to explore the issues of racial identity and black masculinity in hip-hop culture and the broader black culture. We will also probe the political, spiritual and social implications of Shakur's life and art, and reflect on these issues as they relate to hip-hop culture in general. Finally, we will investigate the moral and cultural consequences of memorializing Tupac in the wake of his violent death.
28 Dec 2005 @ 11:50am