Music has always been something that brings immense meaning to my life and reversely, has helped me express meaning through. I believe, especially with a genre like Rap and Hip-Hop that it is one of the most expressive forms of communication – constantly changing with time. It is also one of the most beautiful forms of art because it is common and can be well-liked by everyone. Which is why genres like Rap and Hip-Hop are so powerful because artists can utilize the music platform to communicate thoughtful messages. Ta-Nehisi Coates’ sentiments about music and what it meant throughout his life resonated with me. Already being a fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates and having read his work before, I wanted to dive deeper into his relationship with music since it was a major theme in The Beautiful Struggle but never in the spotlight.
MINH ANH NGUYEN is an international student from Saigon, Vietnam. She is a rising Sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a major in Sociology. She hopes to continue her interest in writing and photography through a double major in Photojournalism. She would like to thank Professor Christina Michaud and the WR152 class: Race, Gender, and Class in the U.S. Today for igniting her passion in writing about social issues and for seeing her potential.