Connecticut College News

David Canton, Assistant Professor of History at Connecticut College, was chosen for The College Voice´s inaugural "Professor Profile." Canton, who completed his undergraduate degree at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., specializes in the civil rights movement and urban history. He is currently teaching "The History of Hip Hop Music and Culture in Post Industrial America 1973-Present" and a seminar in "The Black Freedom Struggle 1946-1968." Voice: When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in the academic realm? David Canton: I wanted to become a history professor during my senior year in college. I was a biology major and wanted to become a doctor, but my passion was history. Professor Joseph Windham was my professor at Morehouse and he was a young professor who had just completed his Ph.D. at Howard University. We talked about academia and after that I was hooked. He said it was pro family and you get to shape young minds. I have made the right decision. Voice: You joined the Connecticut College faculty in 2003, how do you think the school has changed since then? Canton: The school has increased its commitment to diversity. There are a number of new programs, such as the POSSE program and Men´s Diversity Leadership Network. In addition, the college is hiring a number of faculty of color for next year. The school has added the Women´s Center and the LGBTQ. The future is bright for Connecticut College. Voice: For underclassmen who haven´t declared their major yet, can you give three reasons that they should become history majors? Canton: History improves your reading, writing, and thinking skills. When one goes to the doctor, they ask for your medical history in order for them to make an accurate diagnosis. If a problem occurs at work, one must understand the history of the dispute. If you are a businessperson, one must be able to understand the history of a particular stock. A psychologist must understand a person´s social history in order to assess its impact on their patient. Voice: You received your Masters degree from Ohio State University. How do you feel about Michigan? Canton: I root for Ohio State, but as a graduate student I was not as involved with Ohio State football. Voice: You are currently teaching a course in the history of hip hop. Have developments in technology (YouTube, iTunes) made teaching contemporary history courses like this easier? Canton: I can access any video on YouTube or song on iTunes. It makes it easier; however, I have to find the balance between showing videos and having discussions in class. At the very least, I can tell students to watch the videos in their dorm. Voice: In the same course, you ask your students to write a rap. What is the best line you´ve ever received for that assignment? Canton: That is an excellent question. I was concerned with the quality of rhymes when I gave the assignment, but the students did an excellent job. Some gave battle rhymes and others wrote about their hometown. Voice: According to the College website, your most recent article appears in Pennsylvania History, Volume 75. Can you tell me what that article is about? Canton: This article examined a school desegregation case in Berywn, Pa., in 1934. Raymond Pace Alexander, a black attorney from Philadelphia filed law suit against the Berwyn school district. In 1932, the school district built a brand new school but did not allow black students to use it. The black parents boycotted the school for two years and eventually the school district desegregated. Segregation was not only a southern problem, but a national one as well. Voice: I know professors are supposed to spend all their time reading and researching, but do you have any favorite TV shows? Canton: Some of my favorite TV shows are Entourage, The Shield, Nip/Tuck, ER, Book TV, and Everybody Hates Chris. Voice: And lastly, for those that aren´t in your history of hip hop class, who´s an essential artist for any hip hop collection? Canton: Rakim, KRS One, and A Tribe Called Quest

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Amy Martin, 860-439-2526, a.martin@conncoll.edu or Deborah MacDonnell (860) 439-2504, dmacdonn@conncoll.edu