The 1990's was the time when most of my childhood existed. I witness shows like A Different World and Batman: The Animated series during that time period. It was a time of massive cultural explosion international. We saw the end of the Cold War back then along with musical and technological development from the cloning of sheep, the Human Genome Project, gene therapy trials, lithium-ion batteries, and to the expansion of the Internet. This post-Cold War decade saw music that was lively and diverse. Music dealt with the individual, honest, and complex human experience. From Gangsta's Paradise from Coolio ft. LV to Baby from Mariah Carey, human emotions were shown in a raw fashion. The youth worldwide loved to listen to grunge, hip hop, Eurodance, rock, country, gospel, funk, jazz and house music. Teen R&B and pop cultural musicians expanded with artists like Aaliyah, Brandy, Monica, Britney Spears, 98 Degrees, etc. Grunge acts like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilot were very popular along with alternative rock acts like R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Creed, Everclear, Bush, etc. The 1990's saw hip hop be more resilient, debated, and grown to the next level with Salt-n-Pepa, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Tupac, the Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, The Fugees, etc. Punk Rock saw a resurgence with Blink-182, Green Day, No Doubt, Goldfinger, etc. We saw rave and EDM with Moby and Bjork. Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, etc. represented country music. By the end of the decades, groups like Spice Girls, Destiny's Child, Christina Aguilera, En Vogue, Dru Hill, Mya, Whitney Houston, etc. were on the top of their games expressing lyrics about the value of love. Sorrow in music existed in the 1990's with very talented artists passing away like Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, Selena, Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur, and the Notorious B.I.G. The strength of the 1990's was that it focused on excellence, individuality, and a carefree attitude about unapologetic self-expression. The 1990's wasn't all roses as hurricanes, racial tensions, mass shootings, and other terrible occurrences did exist back then. Yet, the 1990's did have many positive joys like fair representation of black Americans on TV shows, diverse musical genres being respected, and a sense of optimism about the future. Later, we saw see the music of the 21st century on an in-depth level.
Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Early devoted her post war life to community service. She served on the Board of Directors of Dayton Power and Light, the Dayton Metro Housing Authority, the Dayton Opera Company, the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, and the Board of Trustees of Sinclair Community College. Adams volunteered for United Way, the United Negro College Fund, the Urban League, and the YWCA. She also co-directed the Black Leadership Development Program. Adams earned many honors and awards. Adams earned the Woman of the Year award from the National Council of Negro Women in 1946, the Top Ten Women of the Miami Valley Dayton Daily News award in 1965, and the Service to the Community Award from the Ohio State Senate in 1989. In 1987, she received the Senior Citizens Gold Watch Award. Adams was listed on the Smithsonian Institution's 110 most important historical Black Women, Black Women Against the Odds award, in 1982. She was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 1993. She was also inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame and named Citizen of the Year by The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in 1991. In 1997, Adams was included in the BellSouth African-American History Calendar. She also received honorary doctorates from Wilberforce University and the University of Dayton in 1991. Dayton Public Schools named one of their all-girls elementary schools in her honor (the "Charity Adams Earley Girls Academy"). In 1949, Adams married Stanley A. Earley, Jr. They moved to Switzerland for a time while Stanley completed medical school. They returned to the U.S. in 1952 and settled in Dayton, Ohio where they had two children, Stanley III and Judith Earley. Adams died at age 83 on January 13, 2002, in Dayton, Ohio.
On August 8, 2022, The Naming Commission of the US Department of Defense made recommendations for US Army post name changes for facilities named after Confederate soldiers. Among them was that Fort Lee, Virginia be redesignated Fort Gregg-Adams, after Lieutenant General Arthur J. Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley. On October 6, 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin accepted the recommendation and directed that the name change occur no later than January 1, 2024. The name change officially occurred on April 27, 2023.
To know about hip hop fashion is to know about hip hop culture. No one can understand fully about hip hop without understanding its fashion. Back in the 1970's, hip hop artists wrote styles of hats, shirts, and diverse shows. By the late 1970's and early 1980's, fashion evolved into the more b-boy style. DJs, breakdancers, and graffiti artists in hip hop during that time had Kangol bucket hats, large gold chains, nameplate necklaces, shell-toe trainers with aces, and black and leather tracksuit tops. Leather jackets were in vogue back in the 1980's, and I wore leather jackets back in the late 1980's when I was a little child. Back then, people embraced the sportswear shown by companies like Le Coq, Sportif, Adidas, etc. Run D.M.C. rapped about Adidas shoes constantly. Other groups and hip hop artists like Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, Scholly D, The Fat Boys, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and human beings of the 1980's rocked those fashion styles. By the late 1980's and early 1990's, black consciousness spirit spread across Black America and throughout the world. This was reflected in newer hip-hop fashion too. By this time, many artists wore paramilitary fatigues. Some people had the black empowerment colors of red, black, and green medallions on. Some like Salt-N-Pepa had gold door knocker earrings connected to Africa. During the 1990's, many artists wore Malcolm X T-Shirts and Hats especially after the movie of Malcolm X came out in 1992. Afrocentric fashion styles were shown by Queen Latifah during the late 1980's and early 1990's. From the early to late 1990's, baggy pants and sports jerseys were commonplace in hip hop fashion. Also, more black fashion designers grew their power from Jane Ambrose to Dapper Dan. With more wealth existing in hip hop, artists like Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, Snoop, Wu-Tang, etc. wore diamond rings, crosses on their necks (regardless of if they were Christian or not), tailor made suits, and specialized shirts. Women like Lil Kim, Da Brat, Lisa Left Eyes Lopes wore suits, dresses, diamond earrings, and shoes. By this time, black owned companies like Fubu dominated the fashion world along with Tommy Hilfiger with sportswear (worn by Aaliyah, etc.). Aaliyah showing the Tommy Hilfiger fashion with the baggy tomboy style was ahead of its style on July 9, 1998. Do-rag, basketball tops, sports caps, and baggy jeans would influence late 1990's and early 2000's hip hop fashion. The shinny suit style of diverse colors and other styles existed by the late 1990's with Jane Ambrose and Diddy. Jay Z promoted Rocawear clothing (like sunglasses, socks, sandals, suede, fur outerwear, jewelry, etc.), and Jay Z had the baggy style back then until he used the grown-up suit and tie motif. By the early 2000's, an increased amount of people in the world wore tattoos. That is reflected in hip hop fashion. Also, a more sophisticated preppy look was shown by Kanye West, Pharrell, and other people. Tattoos being shown were done by Souja Boi, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Tyga, Gucci Mane, Chief Keef, etc. Hoodies, trainers, large basketball jerseys, baseball caps, etc. were common in 2000's fashion. By 2009, Nicki Mainj had multicolored wigs, colorful clothes, and set the foundation for the fashion of future artists from Coi Leray to Ice Spice. You also saw Foxy Brown and others wearing skintight clothes, shorts, and other accessories. By the 2010's, hip hop artists like tattoos, tight jeans, streetwear, snapbacks, kilts, etc. In the modern age of the 2020s, tight jeans remain, Gucci is promoted, expensive bags are common, and international fashion shows from New York City to Paris encourage hip-hop fashion. Hip Hop fashion also involve hair expression from bald heads, dreads, braids, pixies, and to short haircuts.
The Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx wants to celebrate and preserve hip-hop culture that is global. The museum was a product of a lot of hard work by the efforts of famous and unsung human beings who have a love for the culture. The work was invested by Rocky Bucano, Kurtis Blow, Ice T, LL Cool J, Nas, Melle Mel, Grandwizzard Thedore, Shawn LG Thomas, and so many people. Rocky Bucano worked with many investors to get the project commencing. The museum has a turntable platter logo design that represents the DJ culture and global representation of the museum. By 2014, the Universal Hip Hop Museum's first public event was called The Living Legends. It had hip-hop legends like Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Caz, The Soul Sonic Force, Grandwizzard Theodore, and Ice T. The museum also celebrates the Women of Hip Hop as without women, we weren't be born on this Earth literally. The Universal Hip Hop Museum is a new member of the Association of African American Museums and is among the group of title sponsors of the 42nd annual AAM conference on August 5, 2020.
By Timothy
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