Harvard’s Hip-Hopaissance
Larry Summers' amusing habit of antagonizing Harvard's African-American Studies Department is no more. Drew Faust has hired back Marcyliena Morgan, a scholar of hip-hop culture, along with her husband, Lawrence D. Bobo, a prominent sociologist.
The pair had left Harvard for Stanford after our friend Larry overrode the unanimous vote of the African-American Studies Department to grant Morgan tenure. Still, Summers had a strong case: Morgan had published just a single book and her classes received lukewarm reviews from students.
According to the Crimson, Faust made a personal appeal to the couple, and the African American Studies Department "wooed the pair this summer over dinners in Cambridge and Martha's Vineyard." Incredible! That's the same way Yale got Young Jeezy to lecture!
Morgan is the proud author of shining pseudo-scholarship such as this:
"Much more than CNN, hiphop brought back the search for reality and truth within a modern, highly advanced world of ideas, technology and modes of communication. For many youth, hiphop conducts its real business in the counter public where it is actualized through a central edict that is constantly repeated and reframed: represent, recognize and come correct."
Sometimes, especially if it's a cold, lonely night, I look at the moon and think I can hear the ghost of Larry Summers, howling in pain as Drew Faust, Spawn of Satan, undoes all his finest work.
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September 13th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Tenure at Harvard for publishing one book in a field that’s intellectually shady to begin with?
That’s what you’re buying for $45,620/year kids.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
1223?
September 13th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
The horror…Give it time. Soon there will be a video of Harvard Students acting like…Harvard Students.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
To be fair, though, tenure is itself “shady to begin with”. I don’t know much about Morgan’s work, but if the book reasonably took about five years of research to complete, I could see tenure being offered. But again: I’m outside my area of expertise.
September 13th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
talking about hip hop on Martha’s Vineyard — Professor Morgan keeps it real
September 13th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
ha-
hip hop + martha’s Vineyard = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTU2He2BIc0
sorry, your post just reminded me of this. Maybe Morgan can write her next book about this.
September 14th, 2007 at 12:13 am
otherdartmouth’09: perfect!
September 14th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Hey Ivygate: Why was that funny gangsta diatribe removed from the comments only minutes after it was posted? I was getting a kick out of that . . .
September 14th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Ain’t nuthin but anuther uncle tom suckin’ the whiteman’s dick for a little bread. Ain’t no thang, just a hustle-
September 14th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
How’s Martha’s Vineyard this time of year, Uncle Tom?