Democracy By Cathy J. Cohen: Chapter Summary

Chapter two of Cathy J. Cohen’s book Democracy Remixed focuses on the implications of the negativity surrounding rap genre music. In addition, Cohen discusses the effects that popular black media figures have when trying to address the issue of troublesome youth and the vulgarity of their self-expression. Cohen believes that the older generation of the black community demonizes aspects of black youth culture when there are other factors to take into account when discussing the lack of success among young black people. These factors include modern oppression, a privation of adequate educational systems, the absences of low-wage, low skill jobs, unfair incarceration systems etc. Moreover, Cohen makes an argument that it is not only rap, but the voices inside the black community that help to demean black youths. She utilizes the criticism of these popular figures and the voices of the young black generation to refute the discrepancy between rap and the negative views of today’s black youth.

Cohen argues that it is these views that promote the assumption that blacks are a race of mediocrity and its youth inhibit progression among the race. Does the responsibility befall in the bad decision making and behavior of youth, or discrimination within the black community and white American society? Popular African American figures such as Bill Cosby and Oprah Winery seem to believe that demise is the result of bad decision making and bad behavior. Although the author doesn’t refute this idea completely, Cohen seems to think that this view combined with the preexisting negative connotation that white people have about blacks is what inhibits black