Black scholar says toxic hip-hop is like feeding black kids cyanide for breakfast

Dr Leah Gunning Francis is nothing to mess with.  She has a doctorate in Theology from Northwestern University and is now the Associate Dean for Contextual Education and Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.  Not only is Dr Gunning-Francis an extraordinary scholar, she is also a fearless activist.

As the mother of two sons, Dr. Gunning-Francis has been deeply concerned about police deaths at the hands of young black men.  She has pushed black mothers to step to the forefront of protests in her home city, stating clearly that black women must be among those leading the march.  She says that her concerns about raising her own black boys in a society that is trained to harm them makes her apprehensive about what the future might hold for her children if she and others are not proactive.

In addition to being concerned about police deaths of young black men, there are also the threats against black boys that exist in black communities.  This is one of those elephants in the middle of the room that society is choosing not to mention, but lie deep in our psyches nonetheless.  Dr. Gunning-Francis says that not only should we deal with these threats head-on, but we should also challenge record labels that are profiting by promoting imagery in music that makes black men out to be thugs and killers.

Dr Boyce speaks to Dr. Gunning Francis in this interview and I think you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as I did.  The interview is below: