
When Anita Hill accused him of sexual assault, a debate arose about his integrity, but he asserted his male privilege and was confirmed. His position against welfare and social programs antagonized many black people and organizations. In 1991, Thurgood Marshall retired from the Supreme Court, and the president nominated Clarence Thomas to be Justice. Political Debate and Black Conservatism (07:32)

In the 1990s, inner-city poverty worsened as a debate arose about the role of government in poverty alleviation. James Peterson argues that this kind of music sold well because there is an economy based on the criminalization of black men. Some hip-hop presented a misogynist, violent world which reinforced black stereotypes many black people denounced it. Black people responded to the brutality and injustice with hip-hop that addressed the political and economic issues. The government initiated a campaign against the drug trade which criminalized black men and subjected them to disproportionately harsher punishment than white people.
#Keep your head up crack
Racism of the War on Drugs (08:07)īlack communities affected by the violence of the drug trade advocated for policing and positive social programs, but their voices were overshadowed by sensational media associating crack and crime with black people. Ronald Day experienced entrenched poverty in the South Bronx, where the only path to success he saw was in dealing drugs. Cornel West argues that this was a small part of black America, and many were suffering from Reagan cutbacks and unemployment. In the 1980s, the market seemed open to black investment, and Robert Johnson explains that his success in creating Black Entertainment Television proved that investing in black talent was worthwhile. Black Enterprise and Economic Racism (07:43) Donna Brazile argues that increasing positive images of black people has led to a changing mentality about race. By being herself and talking about common personal issues on TV, Oprah Winfrey broke a racial boundary and connected to white and black audiences. Reverend Jesse Jackson's success in the presidential race showed that a black person could become a major leader.
#Keep your head up free
I went for accosting people while they were eating dinner to hopefully get their ear to driving around in a cab in New York City, heading to all the major labels.Progress in Black Visibility and Success (07:17) FREE PREVIEW "Once I wrote that song, people started to notice me as a musician. "My big break has been this song," said Grammer. The song proved to be more than a pick me up - it became his entry into the music industry. So I came home and wrote myself a little pick me up, which turned out to be 'Keep Your Head Up.'" Grammer explained to Alternative Addiction: "I had been out on the streets trying to sell my album, and this particular day I didn't really sell any. It was there that he perfected his writing skills as an artist and he wrote this song to raise his own spirits after a particularly long day.

At 20, Andy returned to the Los Angeles area, where he started his "professional" career as a street musician busking on the promenade in Santa Monica, California. His father is the singer-songwriter Red Grammer, who is best known for his children's music. American singer-songwriter Andy Grammer was born in Los Angeles, but grew up in New York.
