Discussion Questions

1. This essay begins with a description of the legacy of Gil Scott-Heron, a highly influential musical artist. Burney talks about a concert his mother opened for Scott-Heron and the history of music within his family. 

• Why did Burney connect so fully with Gil Scott-Heron’s music and lyrics?
• How can early experiences with music influence someone’s life? 
• What impact might it have on their interests, hobbies, and other aspects of their life? 

2. Everyone has a different experience with music. Music can have little impact and just be nice to listen to, or it can be something that guides how you view the world and yourself. Discuss a song or album that has had a major impact on you and why.

Extend your discussion with the “Playlisting” activity.

1. Throughout this essay, Burney explains his need to fit in. He didn’t want to change from his mischievous ways and thought that being bad was all he could be.

• What caused him to reconsider this worldview?
• Have you ever felt stuck with some personality trait that others used to define you? If so, explain how it made you feel.

2. This essay explores how Burney found and developed a love for Lupe Fiasco’s music. Later on, Burney mentions how Lupe Fiasco is no longer his favorite artist. As people grow, their opinions and interests change. Talk about something you felt strongly about at one point in your life but don’t anymore. What caused that change?

Extend your discussion with the “Passions” activity.

1. One day in high school, someone told Burney to listen to the chorus of “Stay Fly” by Three 6 Mafia. They told him that the chorus was singing “Lucifer. You’re My King. You’re My Father.” Once Burney heard it, it was all he could hear.

• Listen to the chorus yourself. Do you hear the phrase, “Lucifer. You’re My King. You’re My Father”?
• Now try to listen for the phrase, “Tell Me Why.” Do you hear that?
• How can cultural perception influence the way you interpret a piece of media?

2. After hearing that phrase in the song, Burney made a promise to never listen to Three 6 Mafia ever again.

• Why did Burney feel that it was so important to stop listening to Three 6 Mafia?  
• What impact does religious upbringing or even moral panic have on the media, and what is considered acceptable?

1. Burney writes about the nostalgia he feels for Chesapeake Bay crabs, as they remind him of his family. He feels this nostalgia in moments throughout his life. Are there any foods that give you this sense of nostalgia for your community? List the foods and what makes them feel nostalgic.

2. Burney gives a vivid visual description of the Maryland Crab Feast by Tom Miller (pg. 55).

• Why did Burney talk about this image? What about it resonated with him? 
• Look at the piece. What do you think each of the characters is doing? How does this work show community?

3. Burney speaks about the history of Black watermen within Maryland. He details a little about their history and the document that gave them freedom through U.S. citizenship. Did you know about this history before reading this essay? Would you be interested in learning more about them?

Extend your discussion with the “History” activity.

1. Burney describes how his New York friends at Long Island University poked fun at the way he pronounced certain words (e.g., “ha school” versus “high school”).

• What does this experience reveal about cultural divides, not just across countries, but between states or communities?
• Reflect on your own interactions with distant relatives or friends. Have you ever encountered cultural or social obstacles in these relationships? Share your story and note how it compares with Burney’s own narrative.
• When Burney’s friends call his speech “country,” he finds it offensive. Based on the essay, why do you think he felt that way?
• Have you ever had someone make an assumption or assign a stereotype to you based on your way of speaking? If so, describe what emotions it evoked.

2. Throughout this section, Burney provides an in-depth exploration of rappers Moose and Lor Scoota (aka ScootaUpNext). For Burney, they represent Baltimore’s youth and Black population, and they “…held a mirror up to the city’s isms with youthful vigor and fearlessness” (pg. 72).

• What might some of these “isms” be in the context of Burney’s writing?
• Burney says that Moose and the rest of his OTM (Out the Mud) unit released a song and a music video that initiated a “seismic shift in Baltimore.” Identify one or two musical tracks that have significantly influenced your local, national, or international community.
• Consider individuals in your own community or demographic. What community members serve as representatives or mouthpieces for your local area?

3. On pages 81-82, Megan, a woman featured in the Girlhood documentary, is asked what she would do if granted three wishes. To this, she responds, “I don’t know. And it ain’t no sense in wishing for anything. You get what I’m saying? It’s all here.” 

• When you first read the title, No Sense in Wishing, what did you think it meant? 
• How do you interpret Megan’s statement? 
• Burney interprets Megan’s statement as “Why wish for things that are already in my immediate vicinity, ripe enough for me to use in ways that will yield promising results?” Does your interpretation align with Burney’s? Why or why not?
• If you were asked the three wishes question, would your response mirror Megan’s perspective, or would you offer an alternative viewpoint?

1. Despite Baltimore having been legally desegregated for decades, Burney says that a “…racialized schism permeates the atmosphere at all times” (pg. 86).

• How does this division impact the identity or sense of belonging in individuals?
• According to Burney, which specific elements contribute to the structural barriers and persistent segregation found in Baltimore? Based on your understanding, what factors seem to drive Baltimore’s continued segregation? 
• How might the city and its citizens address this longstanding challenge? What issues would need greater attention than they receive now? 

2. Burney emphasizes how conditions in Baltimore are blamed on Baltimore’s residents rather than on the repeated failures of elected officials and policymakers (pg. 87).

• Unpack Burney’s observation. In what ways have policies caused harm to residents? How does that harm translate into public opinion?
• Have you had any prior assumptions about a place due to negative media coverage or portrayals in pop culture? If so, describe those assumptions. Has your opinion changed over time? What helped to change it?

1. Burney describes his complicated relationship with his friend Abdu Ali, whom he initially avoided despite mutual ties. This dynamic shifted once they connected in college over their shared passion for blogging, thus starting a meaningful friendship.

• Reflect on a situation where your initial judgment of an individual proved inaccurate once you truly got to know them.
• How did your perspective evolve during that process? What does this tell you about the way we navigate social differences and groups?

2. Burney mentions having several “hats,” specifically those of a journalist, a social host, and an advocate. Consider the various “hats” you occupy in your own life. What personal experiences or influences helped shape those specific interests?

3. Burney explores underground and collaborative art scenes he participated in, highlighting how these environments sparked his interest as both an artist and writer.

• How do these alternative subcultures foster artistic breakthroughs? 
• What value does Burney place on sustaining artistic partnerships in cities like Baltimore?
• Have you ever found yourself in a new space that expanded your point of view or enriched your sense of community?

1. Burney describes his office job as “…just simple enough to allow you to remain perpetually on autopilot, accepting your position as an insignificant cog in the system,” (pg. 121).

• Why can’t Burney fully connect with this “good” job?
• Have you ever felt like a part of your routine is mundane or done on autopilot? Describe the routine and when it started.

2. Reread the exchange between Sarah Lee and Mill Ilene about the Mars One Mission on page 125 in its entirety. Why do you think Miss Ilene has this sense of separation between Black Americans and African Americans?

3. Burney discusses spending more time writing and submitting pitches for respected cultural publications than at his federal desk job. This occurs so often that his boss has to have a conversation with him about workplace productivity. Is it possible to pursue creative efforts and manage professional responsibilities simultaneously, or does one come at the expense of the other?

1. To the comedian Paul Mooney, the n-word was something he used often and without thought before seeing white comedian Michael Richards use it in a rant caught on camera in 2006 (pg. 129). This caused Mooney to reflect on what the word meant to himself and to those around him.

• What does Burney’s meditation on the n-word, especially in comedy, reveal about this word’s complex history in Black culture?
• How can language be interpreted differently by different people?
• What factors contribute to the cultural acceptance or rejection of slurs and whose voices are amplified or dimmed in these debates?

2. After Richard Pryor retired his usage of the n-word his career would see massive growth, signing a five-year, $40 million contract with Columbia Pictures, playing Gus Gorman in Superman III alongside Christopher Reeves’ Superman, and hosting his own show named Pryor’s Place. Burney states, “… some Hollywood suits found the decision to be something worth rewarding,” (pg. 141). How does the idea of respectability and a “sanitized” image affect day-to-day life for African Americans and people of color in the U.S.? Consider how different expectations around speech and language shape your own behaviors in different environments.

1. Burney describes his contentious relationship with his stepfather and compares it to his daughter’s childhood and the conflict he has with her stepfather.

• Why did Burney have a contentious relationship with his daughter’s stepfather? 
• How does Burney analyze the recurring patterns of conflict he observes in his and his daughter’s experiences?

2. Think about figures or communities that “bruised” you as Burney’s stepfather did to him. Have you noticed these patterns repeating in other situations? Discuss and share with others.

1. Burney frames music as an exchange, noting that we can better understand each other through exchanging our thoughts and feelings about songs and albums.

• With a partner or in a group, choose one song or piece of visual art that sticks with you the most. Share your thoughts, opinions, and feelings on it.
• How do you feel after sharing? Was it difficult to open up, or did it feel natural to share your thoughts on the music you chose?
• Did you gain a better understanding of someone after they shared with you?

2. Burney describes an activity between him and his daughter where they exchange the music they’re currently listening to and give or withhold their approval.

• Why is it important that Burney exchanges music with his daughter?
• He mentions that they didn’t always love each other’s music choices. Is it still important that they exchanged music despite that? Why?

Extend your discussion with the “Music Interview” activity.

1. Afropunk as a genre and movement was developed by James Spooner in the 2000s to celebrate African American art and culture. Originating as a 2003 documentary following the lives of four African Americans involved in the punk music scene, it soon expanded into the first Afropunk festival in 2005. Now, it stands as an organization dedicated to being a safe space for Black culture and art. Think about similar safe spaces that you know of that value culture and art. Why is the existence of these safe spaces important?

• How does Burney engage with Black culture and art through the Afropunk festival?
• Think about similar safe spaces that you know of that value culture and art. Why is the existence of these safe spaces important?
• More about Afropunk:
  • Afropunk
  • Afropunk: The Alternative Black Experience

2. Read Burney’s article in The FADER about the Nigerian artist Mayorkun and his collaboration with fellow Nigerian artist Davido.

• Watch and listen for yourself. Afterwards, come up with your own description of the song and music video. Think of interesting, unique, and engaging ways you can describe it that would make readers want to listen to and watch the song and music video.

Extend your discussion with the “Global Art” activity.

1. Burney describes his role in his family as the one with differing views.. He would call out homophobic and problematic remarks, didn’t follow Christianity as a religion, and described himself as smelling of weed. He recognizes the potential for arguments with his family members, but wants to spark uncomfortable and transformative conversations.

• Think of figures in your life who play a similar role to Burney’s. How important are they in the general dynamic of your family?
• Has your outlook on those figures changed after reading Burney’s writings?

2. Burney describes interactions with members of the Black community who believed that, historically, Black people were in spaces where they weren’t. An example of this is his friend, who believed that Black people were living in America before Native Americans, who would arrive later. Burney describes this thought as, “hijack[ing] the history of people who, too, have suffered and continue to suffer greatly under the same oppressive regime,” (pg. 210).

• Why does Burney describe it as a “hijack”?
• Why do these stories emerge and get passed down?

1. What would your world look like if someone were to enter your thoughts? What would they see? Think of your interests, hobbies, skills, what you like, etc. Describe it through writing, drawing a mind map, or through a series of thought bubbles. 

2. Listen to this performance by MIKE on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and read the lyrics of the songs he performs.

• Burney describes MIKE’s music as, “[having] reflected the multidimensional truth of his life at the time of the music’s release,” attributing an authentic quality to the music.
  1. Do you hear that authentic quality in his music? 
  2. What makes this music multidimensional? 
• Notice how the Tiny Desk is also performed with a band, a community backing MIKE in his artistry who he thanks at the end of his performance. Within this essay, Burney speaks of his finding of a community in the music that helped alleviate his troubles.
  1. How much of music is a communal activity? 
  2. Where do you see those communal dynamics of music in your own life?

1. Burney expresses his gratitude to people who have shaped his life, places that have given him new perspectives, and works of art that have made him a better writer. Write your own letter with people, places, and experiences that have formed your identity. Follow Burney’s format of “Love to __.”

2. On page 232, Burney says, “And love to not being tricked into taking the side of the same oppressors who only tolerate you because there’s a more recent group of people to brutalize in the name of expanding the empire.”

• What might it mean to take the side of oppressors?
• Where do you see examples in history or today of people taking a stand against the oppression of marginalized people?