You down with BYP?

February 5, 2007 8:31 AM

The Black Youth Project, "will examine the attitudes, resources, and culture of African American youth ages 15 to 25, exploring how these factors and others influence their decision-making, norms, and behavior in critical domains such as sex, health, and politics." The project is run by University of Chicago professor Cathy J. Cohen. The sitemap may help you get a handle on what is a tremendous amount of information. Or you could read the press release for a succint summary and links to mentions in the media.
posted by The Straightener (11 comments total)

That'll be some very lucrative data.
posted by hojoki at 8:51 AM on February 5, 2007

Yeah, you know me. I'm down with BYP.
posted by waldo at 9:00 AM on February 5, 2007

I'll forward this interesting academia to Lil' Weezy.
posted by four panels at 9:56 AM on February 5, 2007

There is not enough background on how this data can be used to better the lives of this group. Interesting data points and all, but how does that translate into less prejudice, better job opportunities, more effective political action, etc.?
posted by caddis at 10:43 AM on February 5, 2007

There's a lot of info in those links, and it'll take me some time to get a handle on it, but I really, really like Cohen's statement in the Boston review (linked at her last name above). I've known of her book for a while, but I just ordered it on the strength of her cogent summary of the problems with looking to the black church for progressive leadership. Thanks for the links.
posted by OmieWise at 11:19 AM on February 5, 2007

I've known of her book for a while, but I just ordered it on the strength of her cogent summary of the problems with looking to the black church for progressive leadership.

I was just arguing a similar point here last week that this concept of the black church as a progressive lighthouse in the ghetto is unfortunately out of date and incorrect. It's really not about Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton any more; it's about TD Jakes (or as the Atlantic calls him, "the most powerful black man in America") and the exquisitely and ironically named Creflo Dollar, both of whom are typical fundies that the religious right is very comfortable coddling with because they carry with them no social justice agenda whatsoever. Nothing but biblical literalism and a God-helps-those-who-help-themselves type message, here. Anti-gay, silent about AIDS and sex education, etc., etc.

But that's a different thread altogether.
posted by The Straightener at 11:46 AM on February 5, 2007

Let’s see, 58 percent listen to rap music daily, yet 62 percent think that rap videos are degrading to women. Yet, a quarter claim that they “buycott” for political reasons. So why don’t they “buycott” rap music, and use the market to drive degrading messages out of business? Oh, and 55 percent think that homosexuality is always wrong. I think we’re looking at a bunch of reactionary hypocrites here. No different from the rest of the country.
posted by Faze at 12:18 PM on February 5, 2007

Uh Faze? Most people who buy hiphop are white. That's how you get those multi-platinum sales. And lots of people have effectively boycotted music they don't like. They just haven't made a big hoopla about doing so.
posted by yeloson at 12:42 PM on February 5, 2007

yeloson -- There's probably nothing more loathsome than white hiphop wannabes, but the black kids are hiphop's thought leaders. Where's the outrage?
posted by Faze at 12:48 PM on February 5, 2007

Yes, Faze, let's expect people to represent their entire race. Every time I see a black person, I think: why aren't they wearing a sign that says "I DO NOT LISTEN TO RAP I DO NOT HAVE AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD I DO NOT SMOKE CRACK I DO NOT WEAR OVERSIZED CLOTHING"? After all, it's their responsibility to distance themselves from everyone else with their skin color.
posted by nasreddin at 2:45 PM on February 5, 2007

Shame this thread didn't get more play— the conclusions are pretty fascinating, and just having this huge store of data is handy.
posted by klangklangston at 9:13 PM on February 5, 2007