Hip-hop and women topic of Dillard forum

Dillard University plans a panel discussion on the role of women in hip-hop culture.

Titled "Does Hip-Hop Hate Women? A Conversation About Sex, Love and Gender Politics in Today's Pop Culture, the program is conceived as a town-hall style meeting and is open to the public.

It will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Georges Auditorium of the Professional Schools Building.

Panelists include author Bakari Kitwana, author Joan Morgan, Duke University professor of African and African-American studies Mark Anthony Neal, University of Missouri women's and gender studies assistant professor Treva Lindsey; show host Marc Lamont Hill and Akiba Solomon, a journalist with the news website Color Lines.

The event is part of a series called "Rap Sessions: Community Dialogues on Hip-Hop" held at universities around the country.