The Eva Oliver Interview

Professor Robert Coleman-Senghor is quite a novelty on the SSU campus. Let's just say that if you are an English major you have either had Coleman as a professor, or you have heard about his teaching tactics.

Some say that he is the most fascinating teacher they have ever had. Others say that he has stretched them beyond their limit. But, either way, a class with Coleman is usually a life changing experience.

This semester, Coleman is teaching the first class at SSU that examines the role and purpose of hip-hop and the hip-hop culture.

"The course explores regional and multicultural and multi-ethnic implications of California as a central site in the production of a global popular cultural form known as hip-hop," states Coleman's syllabus for the English 315 class.

Coleman's class "focuses on the life of Tupac Shakur as a symbol and an example of dynamic and danger, as well as the transformative, libratory, and transcendental potential of hip-hop."

Coleman first became interested in the hip-hop phenomenon while in New York during the 80's. There, he got a glimpse of the underground world of break dancing, boom boxes and the art form of tagging.

As the years passed, he began to wonder why major institutions, like Harvard and Stanford, offered hip-hop classes, but not SSU. This became especially apparent when he pondered SSU's close proximity to Oakland and the Bay, which is currently producing many of hip-hop's new and innovative sounds through the "Hyphy" movement.

Coleman believed that this class would be relevant because SSU is a part of "the second tier in the educational system of California," and it "draws from students that listen to that music."

"I want to draw students into thinking about what matters to them," said Coleman.

And, music, especially hip-hop, definitely matters to my generation!

"Professors should be public intellectuals, and part of being a public intellectual is studying cultural practices," said Coleman. "…The phenomenon of the immergence of hip-hip is [currently] part of the California culture."

Hip-hop has roots in South Central LA, Compton, Oakland and Richmond; therefore it is an essential part of California's present culture.

"To Live and Die in LA, it's the place to be / you've got to be there to know it / what everybody wanna see," said Tupac in his song, "To Live and Die in LA," which is also the first quote on Coleman's syallabus.

Coleman decided to frame the course around Tupac Shakur because he is viewed as the central icon for rap.

"He is a beautiful man," said Coleman. "Like Apollo and Achilles, Tupac died young...people are fascinated by him."

While Tupac is traditionally viewed as a "thug," Coleman explained that Tupac's mother actually put him through the Baltimore School of the Arts.

"Tupac had to appropriate the 'thug life,'" said Coleman.

During the course of the semester, Coleman also plans to look at the images that hip-hop has created within its lyrics and practices. Amongst these images are hyper-Black masculinity, the misogynistic treatment of women, and the negative role of the Black family (especially the Black mother).

Coleman's class also plays with Cornel West's statement, "Hip Hop is prophetic, but not profound." Is hip-hop really saying something? If so, what is it trying to change or communicate?

While the class explores concepts like: "Geography of California Rap," "South Central as Metaphor/Metonymy of Racial Disaster," "Dr. Dre/Chronic and NWA Straight out of Compton" and "Visionary Blindness: Is Rap Politically Impotent?", Coleman strives to intellectually inspire his students.

Coleman is a self-proclaimed product of California's three-tiered system. He went to Berkeley High and Oakland Technical High School. After high school, he joined the Marine Corps. For undergraduate and graduate schools, he bounced around between City College, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State and Germany.

Many of Coleman's teachers and professors left a huge impact on his life.

"I wanted to become a teacher, [and] to do honor to those who have reached into my life," said Coleman.

In fact, his ethos of teaching came from one of his teacher's at Oakland Tech. After the class turned in a series of papers, the teacher threw the papers back in their faces and said, "I'll not have you wasting your minds." Coleman has carried that statement throughout his entire life, and now brings it into his classrooms.

Coleman challenges all of his students with his "Socratic dialogue." He questions almost every word choice and definition. He endeavors to push students beyond what they thought they were capable of achieving.

When students struggle, he says, "Point out what you're not good at. If they reply, 'Words.' I say, 'Okay, I can help you obtain a better vocabulary.' If they say, 'Sentences.' I say, 'Okay I can help you write better sentences.'"

Coleman wants to help students achieve their full potential. "Very small means, can achieve great ends," said Coleman.

"The most beautiful thing is watching someone awaken to their own thought. If you're really lucky you get to become their first student," said Coleman about one of the rewarding parts of teaching.

During our interview, Coleman had his 14-year-old son come in to answer a question for me. Coleman asked him, "What is my philosophy on education?" His son replied, "Education equals freedom. Freedom needs options and education gives you options. No options equals despair."

"I feel the most successful when a student gathers a sense of freedom," said Coleman.

Although I have never had a class with Professor Coleman, it was so incredibly refreshing to speak with a man whose first priority is the education of his students.

His hip-hop class has brought a new and interesting facet to SSU that has the potential to bring a diverse group of students together in an unconventional way.