Tracy Chapman became one of the biggest musicians in the world thanks to two critical 80s concepts—affirmative action and the diasporic mindset. Because of the diasporic mindset, many Americans thought of Africa as part of their world, as if Africa’s problems are our own, and we are not truly free until South Africans suffering under Apartheid are free. And affirmative action did nothing less than change Chapman’s life. We’ll explore how those ideas helped Chapman and how they relate to "Fast Car." We’ll also look at what Chapman’s life might have been like if she’d never been helped by affirmative action.
Guests: Jelani Cobb, Dean, Columbia Journalism School
Credits:
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car (Live Version)
Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train
Elizabeth Cotten - Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad
Tracy Chapman | Rare Interview, Planet Rock Profiles
Tracy Chapman 1996, Charlie Rose
Tracy Chapman Talks Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman Online
Elizabeth Cotten, Series Down Home
Elizabeth Cotten, Rainbow Quest TV
I Am Somebody, Jesse Jackson LP, Respect Records (1971)
Living History presents Jesse Jackson, Rutherford Living History
