tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post508890346658517443..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: Black Sorority Members' Memories Of Children's Risque RhymesAzizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-76067722757508307422014-01-01T01:46:16.219-05:002014-01-01T01:46:16.219-05:00In spite of the fact that it appears to me that ma...In spite of the fact that it appears to me that many if not most Greekchat.com discussion threads feature comments by members of traditionally White sororities & fraternities, and in spite of the fact that race isn’t mentioned in the words of the rhymes or chants or in the discussion participants’ comments, I have deduced that all of the participants in this particular discussion are African American because<br /><br />1. some of the screen names in this discussion identify those participants as members of historically Black Greek lettered sororities [see that list below]<br /><br />2. some of the signage under the participants' examples or comments identify the participant’s historically Black Greek lettered sorority & her sorority chapter <br /><br />3. most Greek lettered sororities and fraternities in the USA are segregated by race/ethnicity (although there are a some, but not many members of historically Black sororities or fraternities who aren’t Black and there are some, but not many members of traditionally White sororities or fraternities who are Black or are members of other People of Color populations. And there are some multicultural sororities /fraternities)<br /><br />4. African American vernacular English is used in the title of that discussion thread, in some of the rhyme/cheer examples, and in some of the comments<br />Examples: gone girl, do yo thang, do yo' thang, do yo thang [Little Sally Walker], “You was an 'omanish lil' thang!!! <br /><br />6. A number of what I refer to as "foot stomping cheers" are given in this "old school chant" discussion thread. That sub-set of cheerleader cheers which combines a particular form of call & response chanting with the performance of choreographed steppin' is a relatively new form of girls' recreational activity. My research strongly suggests that foot stomping cheers began around the mid 1970s in the Washington DC/ Virginia/ North Carolina area. I believe that the 1970s and that geographical area are significant because that was when & where historically Black fraternity & sorority steppin' started to become more prominent. In addition, during that same time period and in that same location, African Americans created stomp & shake cheerleading. Furthermore, the call & response Go Go music was created by African Americans during that same time period and location (the Washington D.C. area.) I don't think that it's a coincidence that all these art forms came into being at the same time. <br /><br />*These names identify the participants as belonging to a historically Black Greek lettered sororities<br />AKA2D (AKA=Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc<br /><br />CrimsonTide4 [Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc - That sorority’s colors are crimson & cream.) <br /><br />SWEETAKA <br /><br />sigmadiva [Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc), <br /><br />AKA2D '91 [this may be the same person as AKA2D)<br /><br />ZTAMiami [Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc]<br /><br />NinjaPoodle (A poodle is a symbol for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.)<br /><br />Kodaka<br /><br />12dn94dst [DST= Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc]<br /><br />and <br /><br />Pretty edAKAted <br /><br />My apologies if I missed any screen names that include a sorority reference.<br /><br />My thanks to all those bloggers who posted to that Greekchat.com discussion thread, whether your screen name is mentioned in this list, and whether I featured your examples/comments in the above post or not!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-80943057282415408762014-01-01T01:06:25.692-05:002014-01-01T01:06:25.692-05:00* Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/ra...* Click <a href="http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/racialized-versions-of-i-like-coffee-i.html" rel="nofollow">http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/01/racialized-versions-of-i-like-coffee-i.html</a> for a pancocojams post on Racialized Versions Of "I Like Coffee I Like Tea" Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-75731114918536657962014-01-01T01:01:16.974-05:002014-01-01T01:01:16.974-05:00While I recognize that the confidentiality of chil...While I recognize that the confidentiality of children should be maintained, I believe that folkorists should collect & cite all demographical information that they can, including contributors' age, gender, nationality, geographical location, and race/ethnicity.<br /><br />I believe that race/ethnicity is important to collect and to cite with folkloric material such as children's rhymes, cheers, and singing games for cultural and sociological reasons. For instance, knowing the racial identity of a contributor of a rhyme may help explain topical references and slang words & phrases in that rhyme. Also, studying the type of rhymes & cheers that particular populations of children prefer, what values are reflected in those examples, and how those examples are performed can provide information and insights about the particular population. Furthermore, I believe that changes in rhymes such as the inclusion of racialized references and confrontational language in rhymes such as "Down Down Baby" * which previously did not have that content reflect the changes and stresses that have occurred and continue to occur in integrated school settings.<br /><br />Since 1985, but particularly since 2001 my direct collection & internet collection of contemporary English language playground rhymes suggest that very few of those rhymes refer to race/ethnicity. Nevertheless, I believe that race/ethnicity significantly influences the types of playground rhymes that members of specific populations tend to prefer and significantly influence how those rhymes tend to be performed. [with "rhymes" being a generic term for all types of rhyming verses, cheers/chants, and singing games]. Having said that, there are many instances of rhymes originating with one population and one language being chanted by children throughout the world, regardless of those children's race, ethnicity, and nationality. And it is also true that not everyone who identifies with a particular cultural population- for instance "African American" - knows and likes the same type of rhymes. However, there is an aesthetic to playground rhymes that is nurtured, encouraged, and promoted within particular populations (while other types of rhymes are disdained) the same as there is an aesthetic for specific types of vocal & instrumental music in that is encouraged in that same population. <br /><br />I believe the 2003 Greekchat.com thread on "old school chants" is important because it provides information about the types of rhymes that 34 African American females remembered and what they thought of some of those rhymes. <br />One of the reasons why that discussion thread is so important is because there's not been a great deal of folkloric study of contemporary African American children's rhymes. My plan is to publish a list of those rhymes on a dedicated page of my cocojams.com cultural website. That page will also include examples from that Greekchat.com "old school chants" page that I haven't found elsewhere, or which aren't as familiar as some of the other examples those young women remembered. When that page is published, I'll add a link to this post.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.com