Driving Question: Why is the "gangsta" revere in oral tradition and specifically in African American folklore?

Project

Essay:

In class we have discussed why some characters, specifically Stagger Lee, in African American folklore don't have "culturally redeeming qualities." This concept extends to many of the characters in modern rap music which is continuation of the oral tradition.

Using evidence gathered from class discussion, the tweet thread above, your research, and your experience write an essay that clearly defines a "gangsta" and explains why he/she plays such a significant role in African American culture. You need to include quotes from experts, examples from songs we read in class, and examples of from current culture.

If you use outside research make sure that you indicate when you are using other people's ideas and create a work cited page with a list of resources. I will show you how to do this when you get to it. Here is a link to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, it will give you the basics of research.

Don't forget that some research has already been done and posted to NowComment.com

Outline

Introduction - Clearly describe what you mean when you use the word gangsta. This should be a description that is easily understood by anyone. Your thesis should then state why you think the gangsta is important to African American culture.

Three Theories about Gangstas

1. It reflects reality (proposed by a number of students)

2. It is a rejection of the dominant "white" culture (proposed by Mr. Holden)

3. It is a reassertion of the masculinity that was taken away during slavery and Jim Crow (proposed by the author)

Body Paragraph 1 - This should be an example of a gangsta in African American culture. You can draw from what we have done in class (Fences, Stagger Lee), current popular culture, or other examples that you have found from research. Describe the example and explain why it is important to the culture.

Body Paragraph 2 - See Above

Body Paragraph 3 - See Above

Conclusion - You have some options here. You can talk about how the "gangsta" lifestyle affects you or society. You can just remind people how important it is and suggest they enjoy it. You could decide that things need to change. Whatever the case, in the conclusion you are telling the reader what they should do with the information and knowledge that you just laid out in your essay.

Student Samples

Sample 1

Sample 2