Originally Posted by Makeda Maysa

You're right, Caroline, it's not the full picture and I would not try to pretend it is. Hip-hop has had some really painful parts in its history and there are still misogynistic lyrics in many rap songs and I am sometimes disgusted by the ways some folks have taken hip-hop dance and used it as a tool of titillation and female subjugation, but I still see that it can be used as a tool for peace (as you have stated), as a means of spreading understanding across cultures, as a worthy contribution to the world. It is a lifestyle and a number of art forms created by people who were unheard (Blacks and Latinos) and has spread across the world like wildfire. I think that's incredibly moving and worthy of respect.