The New Shape of the Culture War: Glenn Beck, Yosi Sergant, Van Jones, and Hip-Hop

(UPDATED 6:24 PST)

Are you mad yet? You should be. Glenn Beck has now taken down Yosi Sergant, the second hip-hop activist to be targeted in the Obama administration in a week.

Last night the 34-year old communications director at the National Endowment For The Arts was asked to resign from his position. (It was not clear if Sergant would be remain at the NEA in a lesser role or resign from the agency.)

Why? Because he was trying to organize artists to support President Obama's national service program, United We Serve. If your next question is: so what? That was ours too. But Glenn Beck compared the effort to "Nazi propaganda".

(Just sick--especially since Sergant, a Jewish American, has worked as an activist for peace in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.)

This was the same logic paleocons used to batter Obama's school speech. If he does it, it's indoctrination. If they do it, it's "journalism". But there's much more to this story...

Coming For Hip-Hop Heads

Sergant was the key organizer in the historic arts effort to back the Obama campaign. In January 2008, Sergant teamed with Shepard Fairey to produce the now iconic HOPE posters (a variation on Fairey's original PROGRESS poster, above and flipped). He began handing out the first 3,000 copies at a rally at UCLA and they stumbled into history.

He then went on to commission literally dozens of artists--and inspire hundreds more--to create Obama images--making the candidate the face of hope, progress, and change. By the end of the summer, Obama was riding the biggest creative surge for any presidential candidate ever.

Earlier this year, at the request of grassroots artists and arts advocates, Sergant helped to organize a White House meeting for them--I was there--and he has helped open the doors to artists like Saul Williams, Mayda Del Valle, and graffiti artists like Kofie to the White House. He was appointed to one of the country's most influential positions in culture as the director of communications for the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation's largest funding agency and policy-setting body.

In an interview I did earlier this year with him, he told me he started out in Los Angeles as a self-described "goofy kid trying to get down" in the cipher with the freestyle dancers and trying to get up in the train yards with the graffiti writers. "It's who I am, " he said. "Spray-paint brought me to the NEA and I won't forget that."

He added, "I think we can revolutionize the way that Americans think about art." He wanted to do that in part by continuing to engage artists more directly in working in their communities. He was working to enlist high-profile artists for the United We Serve national service initiative when Beck started attacking him a couple of weeks ago.

Beck said, "Your government is trying to trick you, use your tax dollars to change your mind. It's called propaganda."

You can see all of Beck's stupidity and hypocrisy compiled here.

Why Culture Always Matters

Why was Beck going after a communications director at an arts agency?

Beck's agenda is unveiling itself--he means to go hard after the progressives in the Obama administration whose work engages grassroots movements and reaches people and communities directly through media and the arts.

This is why he has also been attacking Mark Lloyd, Associate General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer at the FCC, and others like him. Real diversity means that voices like Beck's are in danger of being drowned by the roar of the masses.

Beck is not just trying to make progressives who are young and/or of color absolutely dispensable to the establishment. He is trying to take away their platform as well. To Beck, this is a fight not just over the individuals, but to block the ways change is actually made.

Van Jones did not just have great ideas, he used culture to make them viable. He brought inner-city youths to anti-prisons and environmental justice agendas using hip-hop. He also found a way to speak to wealthy environmentalists through speeches and books. Culture created openings to forge new alliances between inner-city youths and wealthy environmentalists.

Yosi Sergant worked at what the Obama campaign thought were the margins: to use the creative power of artists to ignite the imagination of the people. When he got started, all of the money was raised through creative communities. And when the artists got rolling by the end of the summer, they didn't need the campaign to do their thing. But they were arguably as important to shifting the public tide towards Obama's victory as all the pollsters and precinct organizers on the campaign payroll.

Glenn Beck, like other conservatives, is deathly afraid of the colorized world we now live in. In the continuing battle between the ideas--monoculturalism vs. polyculturalism, domination vs. justice, repression vs. change, fear vs. hope--there is no doubt what side he is on.

But better than any other conservative, Beck understands the new role culture is playing in how change is made. When all avenues for change are blocked, organizers and artists find the holes to slip through and connect with their communities.

This is why he is using his own media perch to attack those who are young, idealistic, progressive, and have a strong understanding of the ways culture builds diversity, and diversity builds strength and longevity.

Put bluntly, this is the shape of the new culture war.

It can't work. Not just because we have worked too long, too hard, and built too strong a foundation to be broken, but because culture can always find a way. But we will need to steel ourselves for the kind of attacks we have never seen before. That's going to be our work now.

NOTE: Color of Change is re-upping their Glenn Beck Boycott. Here's James Rucker's piece on why. If you want to sign the petition, go to the Color of Change Beck petition page here.

Originally published at the Zentronix blog

Follow Jeff Chang on Twitter: www.twitter.com/zentronix

Comments

[mikebarden]

& try to roll with it.

[mikebarden]

I listen to Rock propaganda.

[frankwatson]

This is how governments work a& why they should be restricted. Politicians get elected by giving each other "other people's money" & calling it donations. Obama throws Billions at the Labor Unions, Acorn & other poverty pimping race hustling organizations who campaigned for him. (I am against the bank & Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac bailouts. They were a major part of our current financial crisis! & for these political donations of "other people's money" some people call them bribes, blackmail, buyoffs, corrupting gifts, enticements, padded envelopes, gorging at the public trough, fringe benefits, graft, gravy, grease, hush money, incentives, inducements, influence peddling, kickbacks, payola, perks, presents, protection, remuneration, reward, sweeteners, IT'S ALL "PAY TO PLAY MONEY" & they expect loyalty in return.
When you get paid you got to play! Read Alinsky's Rules for Radicals that the hard left plays by.
Democrats have controlled Municipal politics in all the most troubled cities in the country for over 100 years & what have they accomplished? No real jobs, Democratic Teacher union controlled education = terrible schools, = crime ridden inner cities, = drugs & illiteracy, STD's, BROKEN FAMILIES, hopelessness & failure. The true fruits of the Left! The Left is evil and wicked because after all the money is spent they have created nothing of lasting value & damaged those who are productive. In the end the left ruins the lives of those they pretend to help! The evidence is overwhelming!

[tantrictim]

i am not sure whether art plays any role in all of this, it is the connection of art to the muliticultural masses that beck wants to exploit, in the same way, that sen. joe mccarthy went after certain hollywood artists during the red scare, beck is more interested in killing multiculturalism, and as he once famously said, he gets nervous around blacks since he is afraid he is going to say the wrong thing, and they will take it the wrong way

http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909040025

[Jamchinadian]

Actually what he really means is - he's afraid they will take it the right way, i.e. see it for the bigotry that it is. We all knew what Fox was about but this goes well beyond disgraceful that they provide a platform for an extreme bigot like Gleck.

[Freedom Writer]

True artists are for the people and reject the dead hand of a government mired in the past. No truel artist will take the government's 30 pieces of silver to aggrandize the accumulation of ever more power in the Imperial Capital that is Washington.

[Creeker11]

The guy organized the call, then LIED about organizing the call. Why would he do that if there was nothing wrong with it. Why would he tell the particpants he's not sure of the legality and how they would have to figure a code language to communicate more freely? All caught on this tape. You may see nothing wrong with it these oversimplified explanations, but It was wrong and HE damn well knew it. But by all means, blame Glenn Beck all you want.

[IDIOTA]

Art is powerful. Beck is frightened. His so-called expose on the art at Rockefeller Center clearly demonstrates his fear and ignorance regarding art.

Jeff -- you enlightened me. I did not consider the role art played in Obama's victory. BTW -- I am getting your books. I was moved by your Amazon review of "Can't Stop Won't Stop", particularly the point that there is not one definitive view of the history of hip hop.

I use Propellerhead's Reason and will be getting Record soon. When I use Reason, hip hop is always on my mind whether or not I am composing such pieces. I see hip hop as an art form that uses the power of minimalism and indexicality.

[Richard2]

Jeff,

In your piece, you state that Mr. Sergant was asked to resign. Can you please clarify this. Who exactly asked him to resign? Who was the decision maker here? Was it an individual or a group of people who asked him to resign. Exactly what specific issue came up that caused Mr. Sergant to resign?

How about objectively discussing what happened to Mr. Sergant. What line of events led to Mr. Sergant resigning?

How about discussing the issues of right and wrong concerning his conduct? Is Mr. Sergant innocent of doing anything wrong? If he is innocent, why did he resign so quickly?

Your article only scratches the surface of what may be a serious issue, the issue of the NEA using public tax money for possibly illegal purposes.

[sdskelton03]

We shouldn't be spending tax dollars to create art backing the president. It has a very "Dear Leader" quality to it.

[Eris23]

It wasn't about backing the President. It was about backing a program. What's very eerily "dear leader" like is that some of you can't separate policy from personality. I think that is how Bush poisoned you. The fact that you consider a call to artists to do some work inspiring others to perform public service as being nothing more than a propaganda campaign to prop up Obama in the same way art is used in North Korea is truly depressing. It's also a sign of how you are both overly naive and cynical at the same time.

[Creeker11]

Backing the presidents program is the same as backing the president.

[WilliamBradford]

This has nothing to do with Glenn Beck. He just put it on his show when he heard about it.

An artist, Patrick Courrielche, who was invited into this propaganda machine found it to be troublesome. Artist were being encouraged by a government agency, the largest source of funding for art in America, to create art the advanced the President's agenda. Courrielche thought this sounded wrong and recorded a conference call that made the motives, and source, of this effort very clear.

Using artists as a tool to create art that furthers a specific set of political ideas should offend anyone who cares about true art. Letting artists know that funding, lots of funding, is available for the "right kind" of art is downright creepy and is plain old propaganda.

How long a list of people whose own words and actions prove that they have betrayed the best things about our country are destined to be outed by Glenn Beck? Hopefully as many as it takes!

[thetruthmustbetold]

Thank you for your coments. Saves me the trouble
of writing the same. Keep up the good work.
You've earned 43 adda-boys.

[simplesense]

+1

Very well said.

[BlackRabbit]

Precisely. It was the Obama adminstration that reassigned Sergant. They could have ignored Beck's ramblings, but instead chose to act.

All Beck did was talk. He don't run the White House.

[listeningpost]

Maybe you should have started protesting in 2003 when George W. Bush endorsed United we Serve. It's a volunteer organization by the way, it's not geared toward paying artists or anyone else. It promotes public service, do you thing that is socialism?
Maybe you should go look at their website. http://www.serve.gov/

[Eris23]

This is nonsense. Art has always been a means of inspiring people to do something more. I'd get it if this was the use of state funds to get people to paint pictures of Obama, sell healthcare, a war, etc. But, it's about generating interest in public service, which is ambiguous in every way except that it is work in one's community towards the public good. I fail to see how any "real artist" could take issue with this and call it propaganda. I simply don't think you know what art or propaganda is.

[tj101]

Eris, I think that one of the problems is that you are using a term way over the teabaggers head: Art.

To teabaggers art is a velvet painting of Dogs Playing Poker.

[funnyuasked]

The Dems have been losing to the Republican smear campaigns for years and the GOP is notching it up because it works. Anybody remember the swift boats ads against Kerry? Total character assassination and it worked. The only reason it didn't work against Obama was because the country was over George Bush. I can only assume that Dems just don't have a stomach for this stuff because they are always on the defensive regarding Republican attacks. After winning the election last fall the Dems missed a golden opportunity to wage a campaign against the Republican brand. Now the Republicans are dreaming of resurgence. If this happens, it will be due to another successful propaganda campaign against the "scary" Democrats. I wish I could ask a Democratic strategist why the Dems are always playing defense.

[simplesense]

How can you call anything a smear campaign when you do nothing but play video clips of the guy himself talking?!

[BlackRabbit]

I am always astonished by those who think that only Democrats or only Republicans carry out smear campaigns. They both do it, and pretty much to the same degree. You would have to blindly partisan not to see the bullets flying from both directions.

[just saying]

Right on BlackRabbi­t...I agree! People need to open their eyes as if they were a 3rd party.

[Brookyln35street]

PLEASE Donate to Color of Change!

Van Jones resigned. Today Yosi Sergant, who was 34-year old communications director at the National Endowment for the Arts, was asked to resign.

Why?

He was trying to organize artists to support President Obama's national service program, “United We Serve.”

Glenn Beck stated this was Nazi behavior.

I understand many feel puzzled, but while we wait on answers let's be about ACTION, and donate to Color of Change (dot) org.

Color of Change (dot) org is working to remove Mr. Beck, who has used his program on National Fox News to spew racist rhetoric and lies to destroy people, who do not agree with his agenda cloaked in false conservatism. He is no true conservative.

Here's an example of Mr. Beck in action:
(Glenn Beck’s link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxLJVVhcDqE)

Donate $25 to Color of Change(dot)org. If you can't do $25, DO $10!

[DeloresT]

Well said....an­d I will ( I already signed the petitions and wrote to the various sponsors)

[SonnyRice]

My tax dollars towards art is to support struggling artists etc. - not to promote goverment agendas. Lobyists should be banned as well.

[listeningpost]

Not much NEA funding goes to struggling artists. Most of it goes to large institutions such as symphonies, ballet, etc. and for arts education. Only a small amount gets into artist's hands, struggling or not.
In this case the NEA was acting as a clearing house for a volunteer organization. Volunteer. That is people giving their time and energy for the public good. What is sinister about that?

[frankwatson]

NOthing is wrong with people volunteering and giving their time and energy to work for Obama's radical left agenda. What is wrong is paying them to do it at taxpayer expense. What is wrong is that the NEA should not be politically partisan & should not be promoting a political agenda for any Party or movement. BUT THIS IS HOW THE LEFT WORKS! THEY FUND ALL THESE "ORGANIZATIONS" PRETENDING TO BE APOLITICAL WHO THEN OWE THEIR LOYALTY AND SUPPORT TO THE DEMOCRATS WHILE THE TAXPAYER PAYS TO SUPPORT THEM!

If ever there was a better case to withdraw public funding from this group - HERE IT IS! LIVING PROOF IN TECHNICOLOR OF HOW THE LEFT WORKS. THIS IS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING SAUL ALINSKY & PRESIDENT OBAMA STYLE!

[IrisRose200]

Do you think Beck cares one way or the other? It's the $$$$.

[frankwatson]

$$$$ is good & Beck earns it the hard way. He actually works for it & he's smart. Look at all the fooo farah he's creating around the country and among the radical left with his tiny audience of only 4 Million people or so & growing. He's smart in knowing that the media won't report the news but his voice is getting through & that is smart! They want to drown out dissenting voices but he's figured out how to get through! And he's using their own words and methods (the Alinsky Rules for Radicals to expose them). He is a truly effective force of opposition to the Left when little exists at this time. He is forcing this government to react and only using his right to free speech as the weapon! MOST EXCELLENT WORK! The entire Left Wing mainstream media is in the tank for the radicals that have hijacked the Democratic Party. No honest reporting, no vetting of candidates, covering up for corruption, failing to report the truth ignoring real news stories that are unfavorable the Left Wing agenda! They don't report the news. They simply role out the red carpets and provide the fanfare to announce the arrival of the Perfect President Obama! The "perfect President that the media has labored so hard to create.

That's why the public is turning to other news outlets in droves and the MSM is losing audience share. Rightly so!

[Tena]

"Glenn Beck, like other conservatives, is deathly afraid of the colorized world we now live in."

Truer words were never spoken.

The spectacle of all those white people coming to Town Halls and crying about "their country" and "how could this man be president?" made that perfectly clear. They can't handle the idea of a black president with black advisers and Hispanics and women, for god's sake - even Hispanic women.

Horrors! Wilson was Strom Thurmond's aid. He denied Thurmond's patrimony of his mixed race daughter, and fought to keep the Confederate flag flying in South Carolina.

[Policon]

What are you talking about? There were multiple minorities in the Bush Administration. Bush even thought about sending a Hispanic to the SC, but Democrats sent out emails saying to oppose him because he was Spanish. And don't forget what party Robert Byrd belongs to

[GRAycon]

Fanned