Public Enemy rapper to speak on campus about youth in politics

For Chuck D, rap is a real solution for social and political issues.

At 8 p.m. tonight in the Great Hall, Chuck D, rap legend and member of the group Public Enemy, will give a lecture on “Race, Rap and Reality.”

Chuck D’s presentation will focus on the ever-present question of youth involvement in social and political change.

What attracted organizers to Chuck D was his ability to focus on using his passion for music to inspire social change in such a competitive industry. This drive has maintained his prominent status in the world of hip-hop and rap.

The Carolina Union Activities Board, one of the event’s sponsors, began working to bring Chuck D to campus more than a year ago.

Amy Zhang, a senior and the chairwoman of CUAB’s social commentary committee, wanted to do more than just bring an exciting speaker to UNC. She wanted to make that speaker accessible to the students.

“Almost every day, there are amazing speakers and lecturers who visit UNC and inspire the campus community with their ideas and beliefs,” Zhang said. “But how are those ideas actually applied, how do these ideas become plans and are set into motion in the real world?”

She said she wanted to help students work with a guest speaker on specific projects and get the speaker’s feedback.

In addition to his evening speech, Chuck D will also host a workshop at 5 p.m. in Campus Y’s Anne Queen Faculty Lounge, where students will be able to interact with the rapper.

During the workshop, he will work with Micah Gilmer, UNC’s resident social entrepreneur and public policy professor.

Students will have a chance to ask questions and learn about the process of turning internal ideas into external, real-world applications.

“The main thing we hope to cover is understanding how people on campus who are interested in social entrepreneurship can be involved and how they can use civic engagement to do that,” said Lauren Williams, senior and co-president of the Economics Club.

The workshop and speech are sponsored by CUAB, the Economics Club, the Roosevelt Institute’s Center for Arts and Cultural Policy, the Public Policy Majors Union, the Office of Student Affairs and Residence Hall Association.

Organizers wanted to bring together as many groups as possible that would benefit from Chuck D’s experience and work.

“Chuck D brings so much to the table in his background, not only in arts and culture but in policy and civic engagement as well,” said Glenn McLaurin, a sophomore and the Public Policy Majors Union undergraduate representative.

“We were able to have a comprehensive approach to designing the workshop.”

The groups involved hope the close interaction with Chuck D will challenge and inspire students who attend in a way that previous lectures have not been able to.

Zhang said she looks forward to everyone participating, regardless of their experiences and particular interests.

She said she hopes the workshop is more of a conversation than a lecture.

“Chuck D is one part of this, but we’re just as excited about hearing from students,” she said.



Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.