A Man, a Tan, "God's Plan"
Fabricating Authenticity - Jason W.M. Ellsworth
Richard W. Newton, Jr. [+]
University of Alabama
Richard Newton is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. He is author of Identifying Roots: Alex Haley and the Anthropology of Scriptures(Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2020) and former editor of the Bulletin for the Study of Religion. Newton is also curator of the social media professional development network, Sowing the Seed: Fruitful Conversations in Religion, Culture and Teaching (SowingTheSeed.org).
Description
In this chapter, Newton deconstructs hip hop artist Drake’s philanthropy in the music video for his song “God’s Plan,” exploring the social and political dimensions of the seemingly altruistic act of giving. Newton argues the “authentic” nature of a gift is not what should be of interest, but instead that we need to focus on why certain public acts of philanthropy prompt scrutiny and questions about motivations, while others receive less attention.