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U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), U.S. Rep.Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and U.S. Rep.Danny K. Davis (D-IL). The Congress memberseach made a point to reinforce the importanceof voting rights and the monumentalsignificance of the summit. “I’m delighted thatyou all have come here to break the cycle of ‘Ican’t’,” Lee told the young listeners. “This isyour history... this movement is you. Are youjust going to be a hip-hop listener or be a partof the [hip-hop] movement?”Far more than a style of music, hip-hop hasbecome a cultural revolution of sorts, encompassingfacets as far-reaching as speech, clothingand, much more ubiquitous, attitude. The Hip-Hop Action Network was formed to energizeand educate the generation most involved in thisnational transformation. Founded in 2001, thenetwork, according to its web site, is “dedicatedto harnessing the cultural relevance of hip-hopmusic to serve as a catalyst for education advocacyand other societal concerns...”The panel slowly wound down with a discussionregarding the disputed 2000 presidentialelection. An audience member expressed apathytoward the upcoming 2004 elections, explainingthat he had voted in 2000 for Al Gore andfelt, due to the outcome, his voice had not beenheard. Jesse Jackson responded with a positivemetaphor – “If you had $10,000 and someonestole it, would you give up on money?” Heencouraged the audience to not only register,but to visit the polls in record numbers.Actor Boris Kodjoe, of Showtime’s originalseries Soul Food, added his opinion tothe cacophony of voices. Kodjoe, who is ofGerman and West African descent, praisedAfrican-Americans for struggling and survivingfor over 200 years. But, he said, “Now, strugglingis no longer enough. You have to reach formore.”“We need to stop making excuses,” rap artistDavid Banner continued. “If people don’tinvest in power, people can’t be powerful.”The summit ended with a brief appearancefrom hip-hop artist Beyonce’, with several ofthe attendants being honored for their inspiration,hard work and commitment in assistingthe Hip-Hop Action Network.Scenes from the 2004 Hip Hop Summit30 Summer 2004 • GENERATIONS OF PRIDE
LookingBack toMoveForwardCheryl Brown Henderson delivers her keynotespeech at the African-American History Forum.She is the daughter of Oliver L. Brown, lead plaintiffin Brown v. Board of Education.Law School Hosts Forum on MilestoneBrown vs. Board of Education CaseIn May 1954, the court case Oliver L. Brown et al v. TopekaBoard of Education et al became a watershed moment forthe American public education system… or did it? Whilethe Supreme Court ruling that separate schools for black andwhite children were inherently unequal and thus, unconstitutional,was a landmark decision, questions have been raisedas to whether or not, 50 years later, enough has changed.The Thurgood Marshall School of Law arranged the AfricanAmerican History Forum to explore such issues. HeldFebruary 9 in the Jesse H. Jones Business Auditorium, several TSUfaculty were on-hand to discuss the historical, sociological, educationaland legal implications of the groundbreaking decision. Cheryl BrownHenderson and Linda Brown, daughters of plaintiffOliver L. Brown, were guest speakers.Dr. Merline Pitre, dean of the College of LiberalArts and Behavioral Sciences, took to the podium todiscuss some of the historically significant events surroundingthe court ruling. She addressed the creation ofrace codes and she touched on the historic 1896 Plessy v.Ferguson case, which ruled that separate but equal facilitieswere constitutional. She also discussed the climateof the country during the 1930s and 1940s, when theNAACP began to tackle public school segregation ata national level and referenced the 1946 case of HemanSweatt, whose denial of entry into the University ofTexas Law School was the catalyst for the creation ofTexas Southern University. “By itself, Brown didn’tsolve the problems of racial disparities,” Pitre told theaudience, “but it removed a major barrier.”Dr. Franklin Jones, from the Barbara Jordan-MickeyLeland School of Public Affairs, followed with thesociological effects of Brown, from both a personal andtheoretical view. He was in the second grade when thedecision was finally announced, he explained, and had,in fact, been one of the first African-American childrento attend an all-white school in his community. The casewas the first wherein sociological measures were weighed along withlegal arguments. The notion that separating children on the basis of racewould stunt social progress and demoralize African-American studentswas examined and used by the Supreme Court to arrive at its decision.College of Education professor Dr. Cherry Gooden held, however,that “to integrate is to accept, [but] to desegregate is to tolerate.” Shefelt that, while it was a momentous decision in the history of Americanjurisprudence, it has had very little real impact on the educationalsystem. “Educationally, it didn’t bring acceptance,” she continued.GENERATIONS OF PRIDE • Summer 2004 31
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Page 8 and 9: O n the Move Again:Maroon and Gray
Page 10 and 11: Agent of HumilityTrevor N. Mitchell
Page 12 and 13: Up, Up & AwayAlumna Blasts off in A
Page 14 and 15: FEATURESDefying the OddsTrevor N. M
Page 16 and 17: ALUMNI IN THE NEWSChicago, May 2004
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Page 25 and 26: NEWSCreatingNewTraditionsTSU Holds
Page 27 and 28: NEWSAnAffair toRememberDr. Priscill
Page 29: NEWSPolitics of a New GenerationHip
Page 33 and 34: “ Thank You TSU”Gov. Rick Perry
Page 36 and 37: NEWSTiger Touchdown!Texas Southern
Page 38 and 39: N E W S & N O T E SOi-Yee Ivy Chui,
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NEWS - Texas Southern University

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