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Mark Jefferson
Posted in: Education, Life, OpinionsComments: 2 commentsTags: Domestic Violence, Mark Jefferson, Sports
Bring the Pain: Rutgers Basketball and the Pandemic of Abuse towards Men
In a strange way, our culture actually invites abusers to “bring the pain” because to do the right thing is not profitable or expedient. The NCAA is a multi-billion dollar sharecropping conglomerate that makes the bulk of its money on the amateur backs of young men who have their earning rights abused and constricted at every turn. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Politics & Policies, Pop CultureComments: One commentTags: Mark Jefferson, Politics & Policies, Scandal
The Real 'Scandal' in Shonda Rhimes TV Hit is the Myth of Democracy
The real “scandal” that must not be ignored is that Shonda Rhimes' fictional political thriller highlights how little the American people are regarded by those they serve. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, Race and IdentityComments: No commentsTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Mark Jefferson
New God Flow: Where Biggie, MLK and Rodney King’s Dreams Collide
How do we reconcile our aspirations of material success (Biggie’s dream), pushing the world around us into living more righteously (Dr. King's dream), and to find peace in or reconstruct the toxic environment that seeks our violent destruction (Rodney King's dream)? Read morePosted in: Opinions, Race and Identity, ReligionComments: 3 commentsTags: Barack Obama, Christianity, Mark Jefferson
Speaking Truth to Power: An Open Letter to Black Clergy
Mark Jefferson pens an open letter to African American clergy, arguing they are being played in order to split votes, deflect attention from pertinent issues, and to drive wedges in needed relationships. Read morePosted in: Education, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: 7 commentsTags: Education, Fear, Mark Jefferson, Race & Identity
The Crisis of THIS Negro Intellectual
Mark Jefferson on the challenges of academia and the ways in which the intellectual rigor often seem insurmountable. Read moreWords I Never Said to My Dear Mama: On Love, Loss, Hope, and Faith
Mark Jefferson pens a touching, powerful letter to his deceased mother, sharing all the things he never had a chance to tell her before she passed away. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Politics & Policies, Race and IdentityComments: No commentsTags: Mark Jefferson, Trayvon Martin
On Trayvon: Where Do We Go From Here? Beyond ‘March Madness’
We have marched, George Zimmerman is finally facing the justice system for his acts, and we have protested online and on pavement. Martin Luther King, Jr. posed a question that resounds now, where do we go from here? Read morePosted in: Class & Economy, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: 9 commentsTags: Mark Jefferson, Race & Identity, Trayvon Martin, Troy Davis
Strange Fruit: Black Men Wanted Dead [and] Alive in America #Trayvon #Troy
I am an African American man living in America. My very presence makes me public enemy and public curiosity number one. Unlike Bon Jovi, who frames his life in a wanted dead OR alive understanding, I contend that African American men are wanted dead AND alive. Read morePosted in: Health, Life, Opinions, Pop CultureComments: One commentTags: Health, Hip-Hop, Mark Jefferson
Ready to Die: Notorious BIG’s Contribution to the Discourse about Suicide
Though Biggie’s contribution to the Hip-Hop community and to the broader culture has been immense, I want to address his profundity in addressing the topic of suicide in a jarring, unforgettable, and piercing manner. Read morePosted in: Life, Opinions, Pop CultureComments: 3 commentsTags: Mark Jefferson, Pop Culture, Whitney Houston
Where Do Broken Hearts Go: The Struggle of Genius
Many true geniuses have died recently, some in very tragic ways. This is my way of trying to grapple with the struggles of those who are truly, uniquely, and legendarily gifted. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, ReligionComments: One commentTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Mark Jefferson
Wounded Storytellers: Rappers and Ministers Need to Take Responsibility
Two distinct storytellers in the African American cultural tradition are our musicians and our religious figures. The struggle for our primary public storytellers is that they are just as wounded and afflicted by history and culture as the people they speak to and influence. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, ReligionComments: 8 commentsTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Mark Jefferson
'Ni##as in Paris': Addressing Ministerial Excess
Though this “Ni##as in Paris” attitude from the Watch the Throne album is seen as acceptable in many corners of the world, especially in Hip-Hop communities, I believe this worldview is also active in church, as ministers “ball so hard” on congregants resources. Read morePosted in: Life.Style, Pop Culture, ReligionComments: 3 commentsTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Mark Jefferson
Watch The Throne: A Call to Theological Reflection
I decided to provide a theological reflection on every song on Watch the Throne. It is essential that I deal with the title of the album because it is a command, a warning, and a statement that has currency far beyond music. Read morePosted in: Life, Life.Style, ReligionComments: 3 commentsTags: Careers, Leadership, Life, Mark Jefferson
Heroes Eventually Die: Running the Next Leg of History's Race
What makes someone worthy or s/hero status is that they lived a life – or at the least had a moment – of selfless, honorable, and passionate interaction with the world. Greatness is appreciated in others – normally – but it remains untapped in our own heart. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, ReligionComments: One commentTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Mark Jefferson
'No Church in the Wild' Twitter Chat Session
Urban Cusp recently hosted its first Twitter Chat Session on November 3rd on the popular article, "No Church in the Wild: Black Churches, Hip-Hop and the Streets." It was a conversation between our readers and writer Mark A. Jefferson moderated by UC Editor Rahiel Tesfamariam. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, Race and Identity, ReligionComments: 7 commentsTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Mark Jefferson
‘No Church in the Wild’: Black Churches, Hip-Hop and the Streets
Jay-Z and Kanye West decided on “No Church in the Wild” as the first track on Watch the Throne. I want to explore this understanding of “the wild” within two critical realms of African American life, Black churches and Hip-Hop culture. Read morePosted in: Life, Life.Style, Pop Culture, ReligionComments: One commentTags: Christianity, Hip-Hop, Mark Jefferson
