HIP-HOP 50
After giving the very best of themselves to the world, some of Hip-Hop’s most notable MCs have died seemingly premature deaths. Despite the appearance of success and the global acclaim for which rap artists are celebrated, their lives are often a grueling 24 hours cycle of touring, appearances and recording designed to optimize the commodification of their bodies. This continuous cycle of production is often coupled with indulgences that are often in direct opposition to the positive health of an artist and an absence of health care. The truncated lifespan of many rap artists have experienced may be contextualized within institutional racism and be representative of negative health outcomes for Black men and women throughout American society. What obligation do the institutions that extract the creativity and labor of Black bodies have to replenish and ensure they are healthy and properly maintained? In this #BHeard Town Hall, we examine the health and mental health of rap artists and see how improving their health outcomes can become a model for all.
HOUSING INSECURITY IN NYC
#BHeard Docs
The homeless population in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Fully 88% of heads of households in the shelter system are Black and Latinx – why is it that Black and brown folk are most vulnerable to becoming unhoused? After centuries of being considered property, Black Americans experienced decades of obstacles to owning property: systemic housing discrimination in Federal, state, and local policies, along with ongoing displacement, exclusion, and segregation, continue to prevent people of color from getting and retaining their own homes and accessing safe, affordable housing. Even now, how do complex measuring systems like Area Median Income (AMI) mismeasure real affordability, and so perpetuate the inequality? Can the cycle be unbroken?
#BHeard Town Halls
Gathering industry experts, local politicians, and everyday people to have tough, transparent conversations with the community about some of today’s pressing social justice issues.
Co- Produced by Tadia Toussaint