Crunk Culture is a commentary (opinion piece) about creative and sometimes cursory perspectives and responses to popular culture and representations of identity. Dr. Robin Boylorn defines "crunk" as resisting conformity and confronting injustice out loud. Getting crunk, in this space, is a way of engagement that seeks to hold people accountable by offering counternarratives or new perspectives on topics of public interest.
Inherently southern and black, Crunk Culture is conscious, creative and intentional about amplifying perspectives that are often silenced or dismissed. The goal is to offer cultural critique that encourages folk to look at something differently and critically.
Dr. Boylorn is a professor at The University of Alabama in the Communication Studies department, focusing her research in the areas of interpersonal and intercultural communication. http://robinboylorn.com
Produced and edited by Brittany Young
Theme music: "Belvedere" by Rocki; YouTube - Officially Rocki
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Inefficiencies in broadband service have persisted for underserved communities, like HBCUs and their neighboring areas, since before the Covid-19 pandemic. But the shutdown highlighted both the importance of and disparities surrounding affordable and accessible high-speed internet access for vulnerable populations.Although $18.4 million dollars have been designated to expand broadband services at HBCUs in the state of Alabama, it will take until the end of the decade to see sustained progress.In this season finale of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn highlights why closing the digital gap is necessary now rather than later. -
This week on Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn breaks down food deserts - what they are, the communities most affected by them and some of their lasting effects - and she offers some right-now remedies to improve equitable food access for the people that need it the most.
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Black people historically have a lack of trust in the healthcare system because of medical experimentations, like the Tuskegee Experiment, where for 40 years, the US Public Health Service conducted a study of untreated Syphilis in Black men. Researchers didn’t collect informed consent and they didn’t offer treatment, even when it was widely available.This week, Robin Boylorn traces the history of medical racism, by rejecting stereotypes that lead to medical malpractice in order to achieve ethical healthcare outcomes for Black people.
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Darryl George, a black high school student in Texas, served more than a month suspension and is now at an alternative school over his locs. Barbers Hill Independent School District prohibits male students from having hair extending below the eyebrows, ear lobes or top of a t-shirt collar. George’s family filed a lawsuit claiming the suspension violates the state’s Crown Act, which went into effect September 1, just before George was suspended. In this episode of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn discusses why the Crown Act is needed to prevent incidents of discrimination.
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Alabama’s gender wage gap is one of the largest in America, where white women are paid only 67 cents for every dollar a white man earns. Black and Hispanic women are paid less, making only 52 cents and 41 cents, respectively. In today’s edition of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn discusses the gender and racial wage gaps on a broader scale and provides some actions that can be taken to help narrow those gaps.
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Even though student-athletes are now able to be paid by third-party companies for their name, image and likeness, it’s still vital for the NCAA and its member institutions to provide them with the education to manage their money and the resources to prepare them for life post-sports. In this episode of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn offers some ways colleges and universities can invest in athletes beyond athletics.
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In this season finale of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn explores the trending topic of Quiet Quitting – how it came about, what it means and its implications for workers and the workplace. -
In our previous episode of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn discussed how student loan forgiveness could provide opportunities for people of color to build wealth. In today’s segment, she explains how those financial opportunities are hindered by the Black Tax phenomenon.
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In this week’s segment of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn discusses both the implied and indirect financial burdens of student loan debt, while highlighting the relief student loan forgiveness could provide to those who need it the most.
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In today’s episode of Crunk Culture, Robin Boylorn explains the history of voter suppression and emphasizes its modern-day implications.
