The Reading Police Oral History Project

The Reading Police

Oral History Project:

Understanding the Lives of

Those Who Serve and Protect

On March 2nd and 4th, 2015, students of Penn State Berks professor Justin De Senso class "Writing in the Social Sciences" course conducted community-based research to explore questions on policing and justice in America. With the support of the Penn State Berks Center for Service Learning and Community-Based Research, 22 students interviewed 14 City of Reading Police officers on Berks campus and recorded them for archiving at the Historical Society of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania.  The purpose of the research was threefold: 1) To understand how police officers understand themselves and their profession; 2) to document the life and work of local officers in their own words; and 3) to share officers' stories with those whom they serve and protect.  To prepare for the interviews, students studies oral history methods, read broadly on the criminal justice system, crafted interview questions, and practiced on each other as well as a gracious Penn State Berks police officer. For the interviews, students asked  officers three central questions.  Why did you join the Reading Police department? What has defined your time as an officer? And what are your thoughts on your overall experience? As the recordings reveal, students also improvised and asked unscripted questions to "share authority" with officers and shape interviews on their own terms.

For more information on the oral history project contact Professor Justin De Senso jdesenso@gmail.com.

#IceTpolitics2014

Presenting Hip Hop Alumni's 1st

Publication Contribution

Gaming the System:
Ice-T as Neoliberal Hustler

& Entrepreneurial Philanthropist

by Greg Dimitriadis and HHA's Justin De Senso

This year marks the 1st publication contribution from Hip Hop Alumni by way of co-founder Justin De Senso and Dr. Greg Dimitriadis, Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs from the University at Buffalo New York.  

This post is being scribed be Lee Rhyanes, co-founder of HHA as I've recently received my copy and began setting some time aside in my week to read the text.  These days HHA has channeled a majority of its social networking time through the ease + access of Twitter at twitter.com/hiphopalumni.  On twitter we're going to begin a #hashtag to track notes on the read and to encourage others to read either through purchase at online or book retailers or as request through univeristy/community libraries.  

To learn more about this text and HHA visit HHA's Twitter and #hashtag #IceTpolitics2014.

From one brother to another, I want to congratulate Justin De Senso for his dedication to his students & colleagues, first and foremost, and the good will of having the opportunity to network and connect with folks which resulted in how HHA got involved with the Rapper, Writer, Pop-cultural Player, Ice T and the Politics of Black Cultural Production text through Ashgate publications.  

We're hopeful this is the first of many publications that either involve or are lead by HHA and its partners.  Below in the tags you'll see a list of all the authors that contributed to the text, including Justin De Senso's mentor James Peterson and several others.  In addition, we look to share a number of recordings and thoughts on this text both here on the blog and through Twitter, including a recording of a panel that took place overseas in the United Kingdom, of which Justin was a presenter.

This one is for Hip Hop.  Peace.

Ashgate Publishing: click here

Amazon.com: click here

-Lee

Keywords + Tag = Ice-T | hip hop | rap | popular culture | Josephine Metcalf | Will Turner | Murray Forman | Keith Corson | James Braxton Peterson | Mark D. Cunningham | Bary Shanahan | Robin Means Coleman | United Kingdom | Henry Ling Limited | Dorset Press | Ashgate Publishing Limited | Library of Congress | British Library | Jonathan Munby | Greg Dimitriadis | H. David Brumble | Halifu Osumare | Travis L. Gosa | Ice-ography | Hip Hop Alumni | Justin De Senso | Big Jus | B.Gravity | UB | University of Buffalo | Home Invasion | Tracy Lauren Marrow | #IceTpolitics2014