Digital Commons Network^™

The Cardi B–Beyoncé Complex: Ratchet Respectability And Black Adolescent Girlhood, Ashley N. Payne

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

The identity of Black girls is constantly subject to scrutiny in various spaces, particularly within Hip Hop and education. Previous scholarship has noted that, as Black girls are compelled to navigate the margins of respectability politics, the images and messages of Hip Hop culture have always created a complicated and complex space for Black girls’ identity development. The purpose of this article is to explore how Black adolescent girls construct their identities, particularly as it relates to ratchet-respectability identity politics, a concept called the Cardi B–Beyoncé́ complex. In examining the Cardi B–Beyoncé́ complex, I look at the intersection of …

Black Rural Feminist Trap: Stylized And Gendered Performativity In Trap Music, Corey Miles

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Hip Hop, particularly trap music, has been conceptualized as male-centered, despite Black women’s role in its inception. This paper engages with trap music as a structural template that is co-constructed and used as a site of articulation by Black women to engage in gendered performativity. Rather than engaging with trap lyrics as literal representations of artists’ desires and politics, I examine the types of gender constructions that are enabled when the aesthetic structure of trap music performativity is centered. I analyze this through ethnographic research in northeast North Carolina, situating trap music within a Hip Hop feminist framework. I contend …

Foreword, Travis T. Harris

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

Letter To Jatavia Johnson And Caresha Brownlee (The City Girls), Kyra March

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

This letter to Jatavia Johnson and Caresha Brownlee (the City Girls) argues that the rap duo’s brand, music, and videos are prime examples of Hip Hop and percussive feminism. It also explains how their contributions to the rap industry as Black womxn have inspired other Black womxn to embrace their sexuality, live freely, and disregard politics of respectability. Personal experiences from the author are incorporated to display how the City Girls are empowering and inspiring a new generation of Black womxn and girls. Additionally, critiques from the media and double standards between white and Black womxn in the entertainment industry …

It’S Complicated: Black Hip Hop Feminist Art Commentary On Us Democracy, Camea Davis

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Part narrative reflection, part artistic installation, this work contemplates the tensions and the possibilities of Hip Hop culture, Black womanhood, and American democracy in the United States. The significance of this work is twofold: (1) The authors use Hip Hop feminism to develop a framework for Hip Hop activism as a public pedagogy on US politics, and (2) they provide commentary on US democracy from a Black Hip Hop feminist perspective through art. This article contributes an argument for a creative ontological space from which Black women can reimagine a justice-centered US democracy.

“Yeah, I’M In My Bag, But I’M In His Too”: How Scamming Aesthetics Utilized By Black Women Rappers Undermine Existing Institutions Of Gender, Diana Khong

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

2018 was the year of the “scammer,” in which many Black women rappers took on “scamming” aesthetics in their lyrics and music video imagery. Typified by rappers such as City Girls and Cardi B, the scammer archetype is characterized by the desire for financial gain and material possessions and the emotional disregard of men. This paper investigates how Black women rappers, in employing these themes in their music, subvert existing expectations of gender by using the identity of the scammer as a restorative figure. The objectification of men in their music works in counterpoint to the dominant gender system and …

Twenty-First Century B.I.T.C.H. Frameworks: Hip Hop Feminism Comes Of Age, Aria S. Halliday, Ashley N. Payne

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

This special issue is dedicated to the bad bitches. The ratchet women. The classy women. The hood feminists. The “feminism isn’t for everybody” feminists. Those women, femmes, and girls who continuously (re)present and (re)construct Black girl/womanhood. The creatives, the innovators, the women that are “often imitated, but never duplicated.” This issue is dedicated to you and the ways in which you challenge us to (re)define what it means to be Black girls/women in this world and what it means to reclaim power over your own representation and images. This issue is for you, defined by you, and inspired by you.

Volume 6 #2 Full Issue, Kristina L. H. Lee

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

Full issue

Ink (2020)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

Innovative Phone-In Radio Program For Prisoners Enrolled As Students At Indira Gandhi National Open University, Sivaswaroop Pathaneni Dr

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

Providing education to prisoners while in jail is a win-win situation for both prisoners and society. For prisoners, the educational experiences in jail reduce their mental strain, isolation, and stress due to incarceration and simultaneously make them employment ready after their release from prison. Education helps prisoners become fit to earn on their own, and thereby reduces the chances of returning to jail (recidivism). Therefore, through educational experiences, the government saves money on prisoners' maintenance and earns taxes from their later employment. Providing education to prisoners, especially increasing efforts to provide quality education, such as is available to common students, …

Commonwealth Times 2020-03-04

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-02-26

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-02-19

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-02-05

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-01-29

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-01-22

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Commonwealth Times 2020-01-15

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

“I See You Have Been Convicted Of A Felony; Can You Tell Me About That?” Workforce Development Challenges For Restorative Citizens Seeking Employment, Terrance Hinton

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

Incarceration has been an issue nationwide in the United States for decades due to policies from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s that lead to mass increases in incarceration. In the past decade, several states have overhauled their criminal sentencing and prison structure to lower prison populations. This has resulted in the release of thousands of restorative citizens and has expanded the need for reentry services. Released individuals who have been incarcerated face a number of social, political, and economic barriers that prevent them from re-entering society successfully. The inability to obtain employment is often cited as one of the most …

Exploring Pattern Mining Algorithms For Hashtag Retrieval Problem, Asma Belhadi, Youcef Djenouri, Jerry Chun-Wei Lin, Chongsheng Zhang, Alberto Cano

Computer Science Publications

Hashtag is an iconic feature to retrieve the hot topics of discussion on Twitter or other social networks. This paper incorporates the pattern mining approaches to improve the accuracy of retrieving the relevant information and speeding up the search performance. A novel algorithm called PM-HR (Pattern Mining for Hashtag Retrieval) is designed to first transform the set of tweets into a transactional database by considering two different strategies (trivial and temporal). After that, the set of the relevant patterns is discovered, and then used as a knowledge-based system for finding the relevant tweets based on users' queries under the similarity …

Patriotism As Critique: Youth Responses To Teaching About Injustice, Hillary Parkhouse

Teaching and Learning Publications

The view that patriotism is characterized by unquestioning loyalty to one’s country remains common in the United States despite its anti-democratic implications. From this standpoint, classroom discussions of past and present injustices are a threat to patriotism because they raise doubts about national superiority and exceptionality. Through an ethnographic study in two critical, culturally diverse US history classrooms, I investigated students’ attitudes towards their country and the notion of patriotism. As opposed to fomenting disaffection among students, candid discussions of injustices led students to view their teachers and curriculum as more trustworthy than what they had encountered in prior classrooms. …

Creating Covid-19 Work-Arounds For Vulnerable Older Adults, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

In response to disruptions in care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) has decided to focus energies on vulnerable populations, specifically: low income older adults in the Richmond Health and Wellness Program (RHWP), which delivers healthcare coordination at rental assistance housing complexes in Richmond, who had been receiving regular in-person help from interprofessional teams of faculty and students; residents with dementia and staffs of long-term care facilities who’d been intended to participate on-site in a non-pharmacological dementia care intervention called TimeSlips, as well as family caregivers of individuals in the community with dementia; and older …

Finding Light In The Darkness: The Role Of Humor, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

The human story of confrontations with darkness can be lightened with the aid of humor and laughter.

Ageism In The Age Of Covid-19, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Greater awareness of biases in health care and protective services are needed. Ageism is not going away but at least COVID-19 has unveiled some of its manifestations.

A Multifaceted Approach To Address Food Insecurity In Urban Dwelling Older Adults, Ana Diallo, Katherine Falls

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Identify and discuss concepts of food insecurity as a social determinant of health in older adults.

2. Explain the health benefits of participation in a nutrition initiative, Healthy Meals Program, to address food insecurity among low-income older adults living in an urban food desert.

3. Describe the use of motivational interviewing and goal setting techniques for nutrition-related behavior in the management of chronic disease.

4. Summarize the lessons learned and implications for clinical practice.

The Health Empowerment Program: A Primary Care – Area Agency On Aging Partnership, Daniel Bluestein, Brad Lazernick, Britt Gnilka

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Appreciate the benefits of a primary care-area agency on aging collaboration.

2. Identify strategies for enhancing this cross-organizational partnership.

Computational Modeling Of The Human Microbiome, Shomeek Chowdhury, Stephen S. Fong

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

The impact of microorganisms on human health has long been acknowledged and studied, but recent advances in research methodologies have enabled a new systems-level perspective on the collections of microorganisms associated with humans, the human microbiome. Large-scale collaborative efforts such as the NIH Human Microbiome Project have sought to kick-start research on the human microbiome by providing foundational information on microbial composition based upon specific sites across the human body. Here, we focus on the four main anatomical sites of the human microbiome: gut, oral, skin, and vaginal, and provide information on site-specific background, experimental data, and computational modeling. Each …

School Segregation By Boundary Line In Virginia: Scope, Significance And State Policy Solutions, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Kendra Taylor, Kimberly Bridges, Erica Frankenberg, Andrene Castro, Shenita Williams, Sarah Haden

Educational Leadership Publications

This research brief explores the landscape of school segregationrelated to boundary lines in Virginia and in key regions. It also analyzes common rezoning criteria and policies in a large sample of Virginia school divisions. The brief then provides a condensed overview of existing literature on school boundaries and segregation. Finally, it offers evidence-based recommendations for Virginia to combat the relationship between school-related boundaries and segregation.

A “Behind-The-Scenes” Look At Interprofessional Care Coordination: How Person-Centered Care In Safety-Net Health System Complex Care Clinics Produce Better Outcomes, E. Marshall Brooks, Jodi M. Winship, Anton J. Kuzel

Family Medicine and Population Health Publications

Introduction: While the effectiveness of team-based care and wrap-around services for high utilizers is clear, how complex care clinics deliver effective, person-centered care to these vulnerable populations is not well understood. This paper describes how interactions among interprofessional team members enabled individualized, rapid responses to the complex needs of vulnerable patients at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System’s Complex Care Clinic.

Methods: Researchers attended twenty weekly care coordination meetings, audio-recorded the proceedings, and wrote brief observational field notes. Researchers also qualitatively interviewed ten clinic team members. Emergent coding based on grounded theory and a consensus process were used to identify …

A Game-Theoretic Model Of Monkeypox To Assess Vaccination Strategies, Sri Vibhaav Bankuru, Samuel Kossol, William Hou, Parsa Mahmoudi, Jan Rychtář, Dewey Taylor

Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Publications

Monkeypox (MPX) is a zoonotic disease similar to smallpox. Its fatality rate is about 11% and it is endemic to the Central and West African countries. In this paper, we analyze a compartmental model of MPX dynamics. Our goal is to see whether MPX can be controlled and eradicated by voluntary vaccinations. We show that there are three equilibria—disease free, fully endemic and previously neglected semi-endemic (with disease existing only among humans). The existence of semi-endemic equilibrium has severe implications should the MPX virus mutate to increased viral fitness in humans. We find that MPX is controllable and can be …

Victim Silencing, Sexual Violence Culture, Social Healing: Inherited Collective Trauma Of World War Ii South Korean Military “Comfort Women”, Mijin Cho

VCU Phi Kappa Phi Award Winners

The unresolved reconciliation process for WWII South Korean military “comfort women” presents a case of nationally inherited collective trauma, in which South Koreans far removed in time and space from the historical tragedy feel its implications and obligations for reparations and social healing. In examining the South Korean comfort women redress movement and systemic concealment of WWII military sexual slavery, this study investigates a pattern of victim silencing, characterized by institutional patriarchy and ineffective government involvement, from 1945 to 2019. Following the South Korean government’s formal rejection of the 2015 agreement with Japan regarding a final and irreversible conclusion to …