Drexel GPS: Hip-Hop. Islam. Gender. Activism. Race.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

Speakers: Su'ad Abdul Khabeer, PhD, assistant professor of anthropology and African American studies at Purdue University, and HPrizm (Kyle Austin), Africana Studies professor at Drexel University

(Third event of the Drexel Global Passport Series – GPS)

In the wake of a tumultuous election cycle, we have witnessed a resurgence of activism across the country. This movement mobilized organizations, artists, activists, community members, allies, and individuals (some who have been inspired to be politically involved for the first time). As America’s first Black president has left office, many look to Hip Hop as a bridge to our globalized world and a soundtrack to the streets.

This event, featuring Dr. Su'ad Abdul Khabeer, Kyle (HPrizm) Austin, and moderated by Alden Young (African Studies director), will focus on Dr. Su'ad Abdul Khabeer's new book Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United States. Dr. Su'ad Abdul Khabeer will define "Muslim Cool" and how Muslims, specifically living in the United States, have combined Islam, Blackness, and Hip Hop to create a new and independent identity. The role of Hip Hop will be discussed from its origins until today in defining "Muslim Cool" as a platform for social activism. Additionally, the panelists will tackle the enduring questions surrounding the future of Hip-Hop, and the ways that black, Muslim and women activists have used hip-hop as a soundtrack for liberation.

About Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United States: “This groundbreaking study of race, religion, and popular culture in the 21st century United States focuses on a new concept, “Muslim Cool.” Muslim Cool is a way of being an American Muslim—displayed in ideas, dress, social activism in the ’hood, and in complex relationships to state power.”

About Dr. Su'ad Abdul Khabeer: Su’ad Abdul Khabeer is a scholar-artist-activist who uses anthropology and performance to explore the intersections of race and popular culture. She received in her PhD in cultural anthropology from Princeton University and is a graduate from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and has an Islamic Studies diploma from the Institute at Abu Nour University (Damascus).

About Kyle (HPrizm) Austin: HPrizm is known for “Evoking images of Sun Ra and Africa Bambatta at once” (Jesse Sewer XLR8R Magazine). As the founding member of the critically acclaimed Anti-Pop Consortium, HPrizm has consistently challenged the boundaries of traditional hip-hop, winning the praise of taste makers across the globe. In the course of his career, spanning nearly a decade, HPrizm has shared the stages with a wide array of artists ranging from The Roots to Radiohead, Mos Def and others.

Co-sponsored by: the Africana Studies Program, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages.

The inaugural year of the Drexel Global Passport Series (GPS) centers on "Global Civic Engagement.” Drexel GPS seeks to facilitate global conversations at Drexel and in Philadelphia to ensure rich student engagement and build strong partnerships with local communities and organizations. If you would like to be placed on the GPS list-serve, please contact Jacqueline Rios at jsr62@drexel.edu.

RSVP to Jacqueline Rios at jsr62@drexel.edu.

Contact Information

Jacqueline Rios
215.895.6910
jsr62@drexel.edu