Race Rebels by Robin Kelley

Order Description PART A (Write 1-2 pages) Read the “Introduction” chapter of Race Rebels. Summarize Robin Kelley’s main argument of the Introduction in 1-2 pages. According to Kelley, what is his approach to studying acts of resistance undertaken by members of the African American working class? You should talk about Kelley’s “history from the bottom up” approach as well as his definition of “infrapolitics.” Furthermore, Kelley mentions that many conventional accounts of African American resistance are written from a middle-class perspective. How do these middle-class accounts often fail to capture the histories of the working class? And how can studying working-class resistance help us better understand African American resistance movements? PART B (Pick ONE. Write 3-4 pages) Then for Part B, pick ONE of these chapters to write about. This section should be 3-4 pages long. Chapter 3. According to Robin Kelley, what does the history of Birmingham, Alabama’s public transportation system reveal about working-class blacks’ experiences with racism and resistance during the 1940s? What challenges and experiences with racism did working-class African Americans face? And how did they respond to racism and act out their resistance? Then try to connect this chapter’s history of public transportation to “history from the bottom up” and “infrapolitics.” How does this chapter exemplify both? Chapter 4. What social and economic changes did working-class African Americans face in Birmingham during the 1940s and 1950s? How did the postwar economic collapse in Birmingham impact the lives of working-class African Americans? How did the activities of major organizations such as the NAACP fail to reflect the needs of Birmingham’s working-class African Americans? How did the working-class resistance methods produce uneven and sometimes strange results? Then try to connect this chapter’s history on Birmingham’s economy to “history from the bottom up” and “infrapolitics.” How does this chapter exemplify both? Chapter 7: Chapter 7 focuses on events during Malcolm X’s youth. According to Kelley, what do experiences from Malcolm X’s youth teach the reader about African American working class histories? Why should we still study this period in Malcolm X’s life? What exactly was zoot suit culture and how its different components? How did zoot suit culture embody resistance? Then try to connect this chapter’s discussion on Malcolm X’s youth to “history from the bottom up” and “infrapolitics.” How does this chapter exemplify both? Chapter 8: The last chapter focuses on the history of rap music in Los Angeles. According to Kelley, LA rap music is a method of resistance by lower and working-class African Americans. What were the changes and developments in the LA area led to the emergence of rap music? Name three major themes or characteristics of rap music according to Kelley. Discuss each in detail. Then discuss 1-2 controversial elements of LA rap that were identified by Kelley.