Kirkland, D. E., & Jackson, A. (2009). We real cool: Toward a theory of Black masculine literacies. Reading Research Quarterly, 44(3), 278-297.
David: Now Larry explained why clothes are so important. But help me understand. Does anything go?
[laughter]
Larry: naw man. It ain’t like that…[interrupted]
Etherin: There is just one rule: You can’t expect to be cool and wear something wack.
David: What’s wack?
Etherin: You know… Stuff that ain’t saying nothing…
For Etherin, clothing could speak. Moreover, opportunities to “control the mic” or “hold the floor” should not be wasted. This wasting or misuse of opportunity was deemed by Etherin and his peers as “wack.” Indeed, the young men were always in a position to be judged and to judge others.
To avoid unfavorable judgment, the young men used their clothes as a subversive tool, which allowed them to declare “what they gotta say without sayin it.” In this way, clothing helped them communicate their ideas on their terms despite being entrenched in a contested educational domain that is commonly hostile to black males. Nowhere else was this feature more evident then in the young men’s appropriation of hip-hop style.
I selected this passage because I was struck by the level of self-awareness of Larry and Etherin. I don’t typically credit my students with the ability to not only recognize, but also manipulate their own image. Continue reading Saying Something →