What Is A Vernacular Intellectual?

A Vernacular Intellectual is an intellectual who uses popular culture, and has an impact that goes beyond their cultural medium. They deal with problems that are currently happening in society. Also, a Vernacular Intellectual can not hold political office.

Different from an Traditional Intellectual because Traditional Intellectuals are purely academic and don't generally deal with day to day issues.

Different from Organic Intellectuals because Organic Intellectuals are activists, connected to a particular class and somehow politically active.

Why Is Magic Johnson A Black Vernacular Intellectual?

Magic Johnson became a spokesperson for HIV after his announcement in 1991 that he was HIV positive. He cleared up some of the myths that surrounded HIV. Including in these myths were that only gay people and drug users could contract HIV, that people with HIV were weak, or somehow debilitated.

He went on to become active in the black community, pouring millions of dollars into black communities. He also provided jobs for the projects that he conducted such as a shopping mall in Las Vegas and a Movie Theater project in Los Angeles.

• From his first announcement that he had HIV, Magic promised to become a spokesperson for HIV
• He highlighted that people are often naive about HIV and they thought that “often times people think that only gay people.” 
• He emphasized that he wanted people "to know that it can happen to anybody. Even me, Magic Johnson, it can happen to anybody.” 
• "I can do anything a normal person can."
• He “planned on going on to live a long time.” 
• "My life is not over."
• Work In The Black Community
• Gave jobs to people in the black community for his building projects.
• "If anyone is going to help African American people it has to be ourselves." 
• An employee of Magic’s said that Magic meant nothing to him before he took an active role in the community. “If a person is going to be a hero, he has to be touchable, he has to be seeable, he has to be reachable” and went on to say that because of Magic’s role in the community he has become a “hero.”

Why Is Tupac Shakur A Black Vernacular Intellectual?

Tupac Shakur was a rapper who spoke out about current conditions for blacks, but particularly for blacks in the ghetto. He used popular culture to bring problems of the ghetto into the mainstream. He was an intelligent person who spoke with passion about the issues that were important to him. Even though he was murdered 14 years ago, he is still regarded as one of the best rappers of all time and if not the, one the most impactful. He spoke on day-to-day issues and open the eyes of American society of what was really going on.

For the full paper click below.