Summer Scrapbook 2005

8/6/2019 Summer Scrapbook 2005

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interpretiing Hip-Hop

Summer Camp

summer 2005 Scrapbook-Hop Matters . . . a Hip-Hop Non-profit | promoting the responsible use of Hip-Hop in education | www.hiphopmatters.org | info@hiphopmatt


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Friendship Edison is D.C.s largest public charter school, serving over 3,000 students at four campuses.

Its mission is to prepare a diverse cross-section of children for success as students, workers, and citizens

by providing them with a world-class education.

Students at Friendship Edison benefit from a high-quality school design, caring teachers, 21st century

technology, and strong connections to the community.

Since its founding in 1998, Friendship Edison has opened four campuses in formerly vacant D.C. public

school buildings: Chamberlain, Woodridge, Blow-Pierce, and Carter G. Woodson. Friendship Edison has

invested over $30 million to turn these buildings into attractive centers of learning where children and

teens feel valued and supported. students have made dramatic gains on the Stanford Achievement Tests

since the opening of the school.

4095 Minnesota Avenue NE DC | 202 396 5500 | http://www.friendshipedison.org/

ABOUT CAMP DIRECTOR

Andrew J. Ryan raised in Bronx, New York is the Executive Director of Hip-Hop Matters, a non-profit organiza -

tion whose mission is to energize, motivate, empower and support Americas youth through responsible use of

Hip-Hop culture. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Hip-Hop, an educational publication that em-

bodies the elements of the Hip-Hop culture.

Ryan currently teaches at the University of the District of Columbia and George Mason University. In the Spring

of 2005, Mr. Ryan began teaching at the high school level and will spend the 2005-06 school year teaching math

the Thurgood Marshall Academy in SE Washington DC.

Mr. Ryan holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science, a Masters degree in Systems Engineering and expects

complete his PhD in Public Policy in 2008.

ABUOT THE LEAD FACILITATOR

Akil E. Kennedy is the Educational Coordinator for Hip-Hop Matters and Executive Editor of the Journal of Hip

Hop. Half Dominican and half-Black, Kennedy was born and raised in the Bronx, New York.

He graduated from the prestigious Bronx High School of Science and attended Hampton University on a full-aca

demic scholarship. At Hampton, he served as the Sports Editor of the Hampton Script and won numerous award

for his writing including the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals Award for Best College Print Commen

tary.

Kennedy currently teaches history at the Thurgood Marshall Academy in SE Washington DC. For the past three

years Kennedy taught at Adlai E. Stevenson H.S. and the Gateway School of Environmental Research and Tech -

nology, both in the Bronx, NY. Kennedy received his Masters Degree in Secondary Education from the City Co

lege of New York in June 2005.

CAMP INSTRUCTOR

Jeff Tate . . .

(L to R) Jeff Tate, Akil Kennedy, Dru Ry


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JEFFCANYOUUPDATE? JUSTSENDMETHELISTINWORD.NEEDTOUPDATE

Hip-HopandPoetry...Page3

YouthLiteracyProject...Page5LyricalAnalysis...Page7MediaLiteracy...Page

9GuestSpeakers/Artists...Page12

StudentsTags...Page14ActivismandAdvocacy...15AnacostiaRive

rProject...Page17Hip-HopMattersInfo...Page22

InterpretingHip-Hop Summer

EnrichmentProgramTableofContents

InterpretingHip-Hop Summer

EnrichmentProgramTableofContents


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Interpreting Hip-Hop Summer Camp 2005 Scrapbook

Hip-Hop Matters -- A Hip-Hop Non-Profit . . . promoting the responsible use of Hip-Hop in education

Hip-Hop and Poetry WorkshopsWax Poetics

The literary aspects of rap (rhythm and poetry) offer rich academic value. Onomatopeia, free verse,

alliteration, metaphor, hyperbole and iambic pentameter are just a few of the literary devices omni-present in rap music. Shakespeare, Hemingway, Nas, and Common can all be considered poets.

In their HIp-Hop and Poetry workshops students used poetry from poets such as Gwendolyn Brooks,

Sonia Sanchez, discussed the following literary devices using Hip-Hop:

Ms. Moore explains the difference between a

tanka and haiku as Ebony and India listen on.

Glenn, Nevi, Davon and Jeremy read silently dur-

ing poetry workshop.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:A writer might

use words out of their literal or ordinary

meaning to add beauty or force to the work.

Figurative language often has many figures

of speech, characterized by the use of meta-phors and similies.

RHYME SCHEME: the arrangement of

rhymes in a stanza or a poem.

ALLITERATION: the repetition of usually

initial consonant sounds in two or more

neighboring words or syllables.

SYMBOLISM: the art or practice of using

symbols especially by investing things with

a symbolic meaning or by expressing the

invisible or intangible by means of visible

or sensuous representations.

HAIKU: an unrhymed verse form of Japa-

nese origin having three lines containing

usually 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively

METAPHOR: a figure of speech in which a

word or phrase literally denoting one kind

of object or idea is used in place of another

to suggest a likeness or analogy between

them

definitons courtesy of Merriam-Webster Dictionary


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Hip-Hop Matters -- i am hip-hop, i am changetm Unless we sooting no one notices the youth. -- Tupac Shakur

Mr. Tate reviews personification and symbolism with studen

During the course of the program,

students wrote their own tanka and

haiku poems, as well as I Am poems.

Students also used the poems

published in the Journal of Hip-Hop

as guides for the poetry exercise.

Students during silent reading and writing.

Justin works on his Haiku.


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Youth Literacy Project

NEED TO REWRITE

Unlike the 1930s, todays youth have not been exposed to literature which speaks to their current condition;

educationally, socio-economically, or regionally. In many ways, the proliferation of rap music and the larger

domain of Hip-Hop culture has supplanted reading as a learning device. YLP will leverage both Hip-Hop and

literature to engage the students through a familiar medium and in parallel introduce accompanying texts.

Students were broken into two groups:

Mr. Kennedy led the group that discussed Makes Me Wanna Holler: Mr. Tate led the group that read No

Disrespect. Ms. Hartsfield, an English teacher at Largo High School, was the lead teacher and composed

key questions for both books. After each assigned chapter reading students were given a group of questions

to look over and each group got together and discussed the books and the parallels that they have to their

Students and mentors read 2 books during the summer pro-

gram. Makes Me Wanna Holla by Nathan McCall and No Disre-spect by Sistah Souljah have similar themes of growth through

exploration.

Each character finds themself as they extend beyond their natu-

ral environment (the inner city) and learn more about the world

beyond. In the process, they gain a greater confidence as they

employ new mental models to recalibrate their view of the world.

The Literacy Project focused on the decisions and

subsequent outcomes of the main character in each

book. Through class discussion, journal writing

and activity sheets, each book served as a means to

learn through others.

Similar to the urban narrative of rap music, litera-

ture offers the reader an opportuity to experience

decisions, observing outcomes and ultimately

learning from others successes or mistakes.

There are three ways one can learn:

study, observation, and experience.

-- Huey NewtonJustin breaks down Nathan McCall.


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Mr. Kennedy helps Julius and Jeremy with writing

their responses to the group questions.

Makes Me Wanna Holler (by Marvin Gaye)

Lyrical analysis

. . . rockets, moonshots, spend it on the

have nots means that there was money for

them to shoot astronauts in to the sky, and

not for the poor.

-Brandon Hall

Nathan McCall titled his book makes Me

Wanna Holler because in the song and

book it displayed the same problems. For

instance, when it says bad breaks, set

backs that is what happened to Nathan

when he got locked up.

He was already on a 1-year probation for

shooting someone and now hes back in jail

after robbing a McDonalds.

- Davon Yates

Rockets, moon shots

Spend it on the have nots

Money, we make it

Fore we see it you take it

Oh, make you wanna holler

The way they do my life

. . .

Hang ups, let downs

Bad breaks, set backs

Natural fact is

I cant pay my taxes

Oh, make me wanna hollerAnd throw up both my hands

- Marvin Gaye Makes Me Wanna Holler

India, Ebony, Sionette and Jamal listen during No

Disrespect reading group.

Davon, Darron, Jeremy, Julius, Justin, and Glenn

ponder Makes Me Wanna Holla.

Make sure the beat knock til the trunk pop

And everybody pause when you cruise down the block

Roll down your window and they ask what you playin

But dont nobody care what youre sayin...

Thats what they told me yall

Little Brother The Listening


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Juvies -- a film about youth incarcerationJuvies follows the lives of a group of young people who will serve most, if not all, of their live

behind bars. The kids talk about the mistakes they made and what they would do if they ha

the chance to do things differently.

We watched this film and it triggered discussions on drug and gang laws in the US, mini-

mum sentencing laws, incarceration rates and the role of media in public perception of

youth.

When I started volunteer teaching at Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, I was nave to juvenile justice, thinking

children were handled fairly and with care, not only for their safety, but also for the safety of the public at

large. What I found is that scores of children are getting thrown away in adult prisons instead of staying i

the rehabilitative environment of the juvenile system, a structure originally designed to protect them from

ending up in the adult system. The making of Juvies has made my life make an irrevocable turn towards

correcting the juvenile justice system, making it one that is run with intelligence, responsibility and mercy

LESLIE NEALE, Director

An example of a survey

given to all of the students.


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LYRICAL ANALYSIS TOUCHED ON

THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

-URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS

-THE ENVIRONMENT

-VIOLENCE

-REALITY VS FANTASY

-EDUCATION

1. The white unemployment rate, is nearly more than triple for black

2. so frontliners got they gun in your back

3. Bubblin crack, jewel theft and robbery to combat poverty

4. and end up in the global jail economy

5. Stiffer stipulations attached to each sentence6. Budget cutbacks but increased police presence

7. And even if you get out of prison still livin

8. join the other five million under state supervision

9. This is business, no faces just lines and statistics

10. from your phone, your zip code, to S-S-I digits

--Mos Def, Mathematics,Black On Both Sides

LYRICAL ANALYSIS

Mathematics

Mos Def posits that because the unem-

ployment gap between blacks and whites

is so high causes kids who dont have jobs

to turn to crime to make money and even-

tually end up in prison. [Lines 1-4]

There are harsher prison sentences and

more police on the streets even though

the government is cutting money to social

programs. [Lines 6-7]

Once ex-cons are released from prison

they are still on parole and are under the

supervision of the state. Mos Def uses

statistics to make his point here. [Lines

7-8]

Poor people are just numbers to the gov-

ernment, not faces. [Lines 9-10]


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MEDIA LITERACY

Media Literacy is the ability to interpret, ana-

lyze, produce and evaluate forms of mass com-munication (video, print, music, etc.), students

viewed and analyzed documentarirs, video clips

and lyrics from a variety of sources.

During the summer enrichment program, the

students learned how the images that we see

on television and in magazines and the songst-

hat we hear on the radio influence our thinking.

Images of Youth in Hip-Hop Culture

Images of women in Hip-Hop

How the media portrays Hip-Hop

D.C. HIP-HOP

THEATER

FESTIVAL

&

CHANGE METHODS

@PROVISONS LIBRARY

Don Russell, Executive Director of Provisions Library explains the

role Change Methods exhibit at Provisions before students view

Voices of Cabrini.

Darron listens to political Hip-Hop CD at during trip toProvisions Library.

Hip-hop is increasingly recognized as a

global vehicle for social resistance and

for the migration of ideas across cultu

al barriers.Featuring multi-media visua

art exhibitions, international film seri

DJ and live music performances, and apanel discussion, Change Methods ex-

pands awareness and stimulates dialog

on hip-hop in action.

Presented in collaboration with the H

Hop Theater Festival.

-www.provisionslibrary.org


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After viewing films from the Hip-Hop

theater Festival students analyzed

and computed data gathered from the

Change Methods exhibit. The exhibit

displayed various documented instanc-

es of Hip-Hop culture as a social move-

ment of change, domestic and abroad.

D.C.HIP-H

OP

SUMMIT@

COVENANT

HOUSE

Sionette (in pink) , Jamal (right) and India (middle) work on

their library research.

Ebony (right) looks for information on the internet as Jamal

(left) and Sionette (middle) discuss research questions.

Paul gets on the 1s and 2s as DJ Tru looks on at the D.C. Hip-Hop Summit at Covenant House.

Students enjoy the show at the Summit. The Summit was

at the Arch in SE Washington DC.

Thesummer

youthenrich

mentprogram

outofCon-

venantHouse

hostedaYo

uthHip-Hop

summit..

Workshopsinc

ludeddeejayin

g,freestyling

,graffitti

artistsandda

ncing.Atthe

endoftheda

y,students

observedap

aneldiscussi

ononthehis

toryofHip-H

andsocial

change.Spe

cialthanksto

RyanShana

h

forputtingthesummitt

ogether.


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GUEST SPEAKERS AND ARTISTS

Local illustrator and community

muralislt Aniekan Udofia stopped

in to exhibit his works and speak

about Hip-Hop and how it influ-

enced his expression.

DJ Tru of the DC-based non-profit,

Midnight Forum, came in to teach u

about the history of Hip-Hop djing.

Along with the history showed the

kids some techniques and allowed

them to experience scratching, blend

ing and transforming,

Aniekan answers student questions during his presentation about his

artwork.

DJ Tru outlines the origins of DJing and turntablism for the class.

GUEST SPEAKERS AND ARTISTS


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Student Paul Tharpes tag

DJ Tru shows Sionette and Devon how to scratch. Students watch as Tru explains how to play break beats.

Political satire (artwork by Aniekan). Students look through Aniekans portfolios of drawings.


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student tags


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Activism and Advocacy

Rachel Raimist answers student question during prese

Rachel Raimist Documentarian, B-Girls B

Spoke to students about what goes into making a

documentary and working in the movie. She also dis-cussed the portrayal of women in the Hip-Hop media

and the lack of female presence in Hip-Hop media.

Rev. Yearwood explains to students his role

Head of the Hip-Hop Caucus.

In addition to guest speakers who discussed the specific elements of Hip-Hop culture, the

students also heard speakers that were active members of thier communities. Our speakers

careers ranged from politics to media to film. Each topic touched by the speakers related to th

Anacostia River Project that the students completed during the course of the summer program

onette (l) listens as Dr. Joe Leonard discusses thevil Rights Movement and the responsibility of thep-Hop generation to advocacy.

Jared Ball speaks on media awar


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Anacostia River advocacy Project

The objective of the Anacostia River Project during the Hip Hop Matters High School Enrichment

Program was to introduce students to the issue of Anacostia River pollution and its effects on

their community.

Students created a multimedia presentation (using hip-hop) educating/informing the public on th

pollution of the Anacostia River and possible solutions to the problem. Students were introduced

to the issue through newspaper articles, internet resources, presentations by community organi-

zations and a canoe tour of the river.

They were broken into groups according to their interest (research, video, performance). Studen

projects had to use Hip-Hop as a tool for activism. Students produced a documentary explaining

the issues surrounding the Anacostia River as well as a brochure about the

Anacostia.

GOALS

Define environmental justice/activism

Describe the affects of pollution on the enviroment

Describe the causes and effects of Ancostia River polution

Diagram and map Anacostia River

Describe effects of pollution on surrounding communities

Define watershed, ecosystem, tributary

Describe what the government plans to do with the land

in Anacostia

Discuss how public policy affects the environment

2 billion gallons of sewage and trash infested wamakes it to the Anacostia River every year.

-Anacostia Watershed Society

No Fishing sign warns would be fisherman to stay away.

Pepsi bottles, a foam football and other debris float in rive

Bladensburg Waterfront Park.


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The cause of pollution in the Ana-

costia River comes from sewage, pol-luted storm water runoff, highway

runoff and rainwater.

One of the main problems is the

Districts antiquated sewage system,

which dumps raw waste into the

Anacostia during heavy rainstorms,

totaling about 80 times a year.

- Anacostia Watershed Society

Between 75 percent and 90 percent

of the Anacostias pollution is

caused by stormwater runoff from

exhaust, asphalt particles, spilled

engine oil and other fossil fuel

products.

- Anacostia Watershed Society

The best-known projects are a plan

to build neighborhoods and public

amenities on the old D.C. General

Hospital campus and a $400 million-

plus proposal for a baseball park just

off South Capitol Street.

-Washington Post

Sewage, floats on the surface of Anacostia River.

A basketball, plastic cups and a juice container are among the ite

that continue to pollute Anacostia River.

A medicine bottle and other waste float in the Anacostia

River at the Bladensburg Waterfront.


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Arrival at Bladensburg Waterfront Park.

Students wait for canoe demonstration at Anacostia River.

Mr. Kennedy listens on as Ric Zeller of the AnacostiaWaershed Society gives a brief history of the river and

outlines the canoe trip.

THE BUS TRIP TO

THE ANACOSTIA

RIVER

THE CHESAPEAKE

BAY

WATERSHED


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(L to R) Mr. Ryan, Nevawanna, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Tate take a quick

photo before boat launch.

Ric (left) explains to Alfonzo how to launch canoe into

river.

C.J. and Glenn show off their oarsmen skills.

CANOE

DEMONSTRATION

AND LAUNCH

ON THEANACOSTIA

RIVER...


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Students stay together in groups as they row down the river towards

D.C.

DOWNSTREAM TO

DC...

LEARNING ON

THE RIVER...

THE REALITY

OF EVERYDAYLIFE...

Ric stops at an osprey nest in the middle of the river to explain

wildlife preservation.

The Orange line Metro to New Carrolton runs over the river and by the


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bout the Documentary

Do SomethingDo SomethingDuring the course of the summer, students began filming a

documumentary aimed at educating school and community peers on the

Anacostia River.

Environmental justice advocacyat the grassroots (community) level are

seen as the only social advocacy to yield true results since the CivilRights Movement.

We created a brief 5 minute movie with some of the footage.

Teachers, students, and environmental experts were interviewed by stu-

dents. Four groups, Research (headed by Nevewanna, film crew

(Sionette), performance (Daron), and artwork (Paul).

Environmental justice,is thefair treatment and meaningfulinvolvement of all people regard-less of race, color, national origin,or income with respect to the

development, implementation,

and enforcement of environmen-tal laws, regulations, and policies.

US Environmental

Protection Agency

www.epa.gov

Because many people in government look at hip-hop music and its culture as a radical music that gets

traight to the point and music that will wake up the youth and young adults throughout the world. They c

lso use hip-hop to backfire and destroy itself.

You can believe what Im saying. But time will tell and I see what you see not.

xcerpted from: :The True Meaning Of Hip-Hop Culture by Afrika Bambaataa, The Bomb Hip-Hop Magazine #38 (March 1995)


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Gentrification

In1995,demolition

beganatCabriniG

reen,

oneofChicagosm

ostnotorioushou

sing

developments.Infa

mousforpoverty,g

angs,

drugs,andviolence

-CabriniGreenis

also

hometoastro

ngcommunityofA

frican-

Americanresidents-manyofwhom

are

fightingtostay.Fil

medfrom1995-1999,

VoicesofCabrinii

sthestoryofhowre

devel

opmentischanging

thisneighborhood

.

www.voiceofcabrin

i.com

During our visit to Provision Library, students watched a short documentary entitled Voices of Cabrini. Much

like the current development trend in Washington DC, the movie captures the 5 year period where one

of Chicagos largest public housing projects was torn down and replaced by townhouses. Dru Ryan led a

post-discussion along with Chicago native Jeff Tate. Afterwards, students spend time viewing the exxhibit on

Change Methods at Provisions Library as well as filling out an activity sheet.

Special Thanks to filmaker Ronit Bezalel for allowing us to view this film in class.


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Obesity

Part of the handout used for our workshop on Hip-Hop and activism.

One students commeafter we discussed obe

in class. We also watc

Super Size Me,a documentary byMorgan Spurlock whe

he eats McDonalds fo

straight days.

Afterwards, we discuss

obesity and nutrition. athe health issues involvwith obesity

OBesity in america


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Rap Music as Equipment For Livingby Andrew J. Ryan

Hip-Hop, through its various elements, is constantly adapting to new situations. Words are transformed to

depict familiar scenarios and circumstances native to the culture. Burke remarks: [Slang] was not develo

out of some exceptional gift. It was developed out of the fact that new typical situations had arisen and peo

needed names for them. For instance, Eskimos have over 15 words for snow, each with varying measurto accurately describe it. So it is no wonder rap music consistently evolves, seeking creative and clever w

to describe present and shape the future. Rap music is filled with evolutionary linguistics as the past 30

years has seen the culture spread from the South Bronx to a global movement.

You would rather have a Lexus? or justice? a dream? or some substance?

A Beamer? a necklace? or freedom? - Stic.man (of dead prez), Hip-Hop , Lets Get Free

The great allurement in our present popular, inspirational literature, is the strategy for an easy consolatio

- Kenneth Burke

Though I doubt he ever listened to rap music, and likely never imaging his work would extend into Hip-Hop, prophecy is ironic. 90210 rap, where a rich lifestyle is assumed without any detail of the means, is hurtin

Hip-Hop. As Jay-Z quips in Show You How:

Sick of yall niggaz with ya now or later raps//Rap about it now, hope you get it later

While being poor is not intrinsic to Hip-Hop culture, pretending your rich has no role either. Without the ab

to discern between the business acumen of Camron, E-40, or Scarface from the industry controlled hand

puppet, the unsuspecting Hip-Hop consumer can easily be misled.

As the dominant youth culture in the United States, the yearn to learn more about Hip-Hop starts early. Layear, I received an e-mail from second grade New York City Public School teacher Elly Cole asking if I could

assist with a class project. Asaad Plummer, now 8, chose the topic: What is Hip-Hop for his school repo

We exchanged a few e-mails and a few weeks later, Ms. Cole eventually mailed me a copy of his A+ report!

Comprehension of literature, whether Nathan McCall or Nas, Lisa Jones or Sistah Souljah must be includ

on Hip-Hops agenda. In `1991, Chuck D proclaimed: Rap is an introduction. If people really want to lear

something, the got to pick up some books.

Programs like the National Urban Leagues Hip-Hop Reader [www.hiphopreader.com], which award studen

for reading various Hip-Hop books is a start. Grassroots change must start closer to home.

To many youth, Hip-Hop offers the only reputable counsel for dealing with the world they live. While 30-som

things critique todays popular rap, and long for the 2005 incarnation of Pete Rock and CL Smooth or the

DOC, the focus must be shifted toward education on HOW to value Hip-Hop and not WHAT you should liste

to.

As Hip-Hop grows older, it is imperative to keep its core principles alive. The old will die and the young will f

get unless the culture takes it upon itself to keep the culture alive.

Asaad has a head start on most of us . . . lets make sure hes not alone.


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Hip-Hop Matters is a Washington DC based non-profit

serving the youth of America.

Our mission is to energize, motivate, empower, andsupport the youth of urban America through outreach,

youth advocacy, urban policy analysis, educational

publications and educational consulting which responsibly

utilize the five elements of Hip-Hop culture and encourage

proactive civic engagement.

www.hiphopmatters.org [email protected]

866 HH MATTERS

Organizational

Information

wordz of wisdom . .While we must challenge Hip-Hop to be better, we must respect

the influence and power that it has in the lives of our youth.

To that end, it is in our best interest as

educators, to struggle to understand not

only the Hip-Hop movement, but to

develop teaching approaches that draw

from the rich resources Hip-Hop culture

represents.

[Hip-Hop Matters] Interpreting Hip-Hop Summer

camp at the Friendship Collegiate Academy in NE

Washington DC, addresses these very concerns in

powerful and innovative ways.

I hope Andrew Ryans program and his ideas about

how to use Hip-Hop in the classroom will be put to

good use by the Friendship Collegiate Academy and

replicated in schools across the country.

Marvin Lynn, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Coordinator of

Minority and Urban Education,

University of Maryland College Park


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. . On Hip-Hop and Educationby Akil E. Kennedy

As an educator in the New York City public school system, I find it extremely difficult to get my students to focus

he standardized curriculum. It has become vogue to blame students for being uninterested in school. Ive particpated in 20 too many discussions ending with: . . . . but when they are motivated, the students are amazing. W

could it be? I maintain, we as teachers must attempt to meet our students half way. Come from Where Theyre

From.

What is half way? Well, I often notice my students writing or reading rap lyrics in an academic setting. When? T

cally before, after, and sometimes during class! With no parental prompting, students memorize and recite lyrics

o all the latest rap songs. The civics and government lessons taught by Hip-Hop in 2004, enriched the academic

setting by default.

The traditional classroom lecture and textbook are no longer part of the student experience. For these students,

he contents of textbooks exist outside of their realms of consciousness. Hip-Hop does not. Rap does not. Rap m

was birthed out of their very living environments. Whether reinforced through daily contact, or ingested through

or radio, the shared experiences furnished by Hip-Hop present a reality parallel to their everyday lives. The essen

of their being is best reflected through Hip-Hop culture.

Brazilian Paulo Freire was able to educate an under-educated class by using lessons based on their experiences

Today, this practice has morphed into a progressive field of study: culturally relevant education.

ts a wonder Hip-Hop culture could become the most profitable marketing entity in the world, yet people still argu

has no educational value. Many educators resist Hip-Hop as a teaching tool due to ignorance, convinced Hip-Hop

what they see on TV and hear on the radio. Hip-Hop, as a culture has many dimensions. It should not be critiqueda single plane.

Rap music can also be used to teach and/or motivate students to learn about various topics whether it be histo

or math. dead prez Animal In Man, is a Hip-Hop version of George Orwells novel Animal Farm. Commons Ass

ells the story of Black Panther Assata Shakur. Further, the literary aspects of rap (rhythm and poetry) offer rich

academic value. Onomatopoeia, free verse, alliteration, metaphor, and iambic pentameter are just a few of the lit

ary devices omnipresent in rap music. Shakespeare, Hemingway, Nas and Talib Kweli can all be considered poets

The concept of using music to teach is not a novel one. Mnemonic devices have been used for years to teach stu

dents different content and skills. Shows like Sesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock, and Dora the Explorer all utilize

mnemonic devices to teach children how to count, spell, rhyme etc. Hip-Hop can be used much the same way in tclassroom. As a member of the Hip-Hop Generation and a lover of Hip-Hop, I believe educators must acknowled

he potential benefit of the responsible use of Hip-Hop culture in academic settings.

Studies have shown music can provide a motivating learning environment and helps students focus. Today, with

highly structured curricula and mandates shackling creativity, students are being forced to learn through repetit

rather than innovation. With the changing times and lack of sufficient funding, public schools now occupy the low

rungs. It is time for educators to embrace Hip-Hop as a valuable asset in the classroom.

Our youth deserve better.


27/3227




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SPEAKER BIOSJared Ball is an educator and journalist working in and around Washington, DC. He currently teaches both African

American and Media Studies at Frostburg State University and the University of Maryland at College Park. Mr.

Ball is founder/host of FreeMix Radio: The Original Mixtape Radio Show (voxunion.com) and is a co-host of The

Blackademics part of Washingtons Decipher Hip-Hop Politics Block on WPFW 89.3 FM Pacifica.

Ball folds a BS in History from Frostburg State University, a Masters degree in Africana Studies from the Africana

Studies and Research Center at Cornell University and is soon to complete his Ph.D. in Journalism and Media

Studies from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Fritz Doseau, Haitian born and Brooklyn bred, is an aficionado of fine art, comic art, and graffiti. A self-taught art-

ist, he includes illustrator Norman Rockwell and comic artist John Buscema among his influences.

Helena L. Hartsfield is an educator, scholar, writer and activist. She holds bachelors degrees in English and Com -

munications. Hartsfield received her MEd and is currently doing doctorate work at Howard University. She has

taught abroad, and served as a guest lecturer at various international institutions, presenting the paper, Hip Hop

Music: The Tie that Binds, which explores the global impact of Hip-Hop music.

Joe Leonard, Jr., Ph.D. is the executive director of the Black Leadership Forum (BLF) the consortium of 22 black

civil rights groups in the country. Prior to serving at BLF he served for four years as the Washington, DC bureau

chief for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. A native of Texas his all time favorite rapper is Scarface and his favorite

group is Public Enemy.

Eternal Bridget Moore is a published poet, spoken word artist, classical pianist, editor, and Hip-Hop/ poetry

workshop coordinator. She is currently a Drama instructor at Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, MD. A New

Jersey native, she received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Rutgers, The State

University of New Jersey in 2001. She is currently working on her first novel, a poetry-infused, coming of age tale

of Hip-Hop, adventure, and sibling rivalry. The novel will target adolescents ages 11 thru 15.

Dominic Tru Painter is the Executive Director of the Midnight Forum, a DC based non-profit whose goal is to

empower youth through Hip-Hop. Tru is also the co-host of a show on the Decipher, 89.9 WPHW and a respected

deejay in the Washington DC region.

Rachel Ramist is a Feminist Studies Phd student in the Department of Womens Studies at at the University of

Minnesota with a minor in American Studies. Away from school, Rachel is a mother, a filmmaker, a hip-hop femi-

nist, an activist, community organizer, and seeking to better the world. She am most known for my documentary

Nobody Knows My Name, distributed by Women Make Movies, about women in hip-hop.

Aniekan Udofia, of Nigerian heritage, currently resides in Washington DC.artwork focuses on Hip-Hop and can be

found in XXL and Frank 151. Aniekans artwork has been legally muralized on several walls throughout Washing-

ton DC.

Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr., a minister, community activist, freedom fighter, and hip-hop connoisseur, is the

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hip-Hop Caucus (H2C). H2C is the only Hip-Hop membership organiza-

tion in existence to establish a comprehensive agenda for the Hip-Hop Community. The members of H2C form a

national coalition of pop-culture, social, political, community based, and youth leadership organizations as well as

individuals.

Reverend Yearwood is also a senior consultant for the Russell Simmons Hip Hop Summit Action Network

(HSAN), P. Diddys Citizen Change (Vote OrDie), and Jay Z/S. Carter (Voice Your Choice), providing a national

template for engaging the Hip-Hop generation in community-building


29/3229



On the hunger situation in Niger

We, as a community, can donate goods and food to the people in

Niger. But if I had transportation I would bring those people over

to the U.S. so that it could be known that they are starving and

make our government want to pay attention to this issue.

-Julius Hawkins

Partial list of resources

TEXTMcCall, Nathan Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America Vintage Press 1995

Sister Souljah, No Disrespect. New York: Times Books/Random House, 1994.Journal of Hip-Hop, Issue 1, Spring 2005

Kitwana, Bakari, Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and The Crisis in African-American Culture,

Basic Civtas Booke 2002

LYRICSCommon The Corner- Be (Geffen Records, 2005)

Mos Def Mathematics Black on Both Sides (Priority Records, 1999)

Jay-Z Young Gifted and Black (mixtape, 2003)

Marvin Gaye Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) Whats Going On (Motown Records, 1971)

FILMAmandla! A Revolution In Four Part Harmony. Dir Lee Hirsch. Prod. Lee Hirsch, Sherry Simpson,

Desiree Markgraaff. DVD. Dist. Artisan Entertainment. 2002

Freestyle The Art of Rhyme Dir Kevin Fitzgerald DVD. Dist. Palm Pictures. 2005

Juvies. Dir. Leslie Neale. Prod. Mark Wahlberg, John Densmore, Traci Odom.DVD. 2004

Money for Nothing Dir. Ramon Menendez. Prod. Tom Musca, David Permut . Mathew Tolmach.

DVD. Dist. Buena Vista. 1993

Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Prod. Heather M. Winters DVD. Dist Roadside Attractions /

Samuel Goldwyn Films 2004

Scratch. Dir. Doug Pray, Prod. Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes, Brad Blondheim DVD. Dist. PalmPictures 2001

Style Wars Dir. Tony Silver Prod. Henry Chalfant. DVD Dist. Ryko/Palm Pictures 1983

The Corporation. Dir. Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, Prod. Mark Achbar, Bart Simpson. Dist. Big

Picture Media Corporation 2003

Voices of Cabrini. Dir. Ronit Bezalel Antonio Ferrera. Prod. Judy Hoffman. 1999

BBC News Clips on Famine in Niger. Washington, DC. Tuesday July 19th, 2005

What I Hear I forget. what I see. I remember. what I do I Understand.

Confuscious


30/3230



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31/3231



What do you mean when you say Im rebelliousCause I dont accept everything that youre telling usWhat are you selling us the creator dwellin us

I sit in your unknown class while youre failing us

I failed your class cause I aint with your reasoning

Youre tryin make me you by seasoning

KRS-ONE You Must Learn

Ghetto Music - The Blueprint of Hip-Hop


32/32

Overall, I thought the Hip-Hop Summer camp was

fun because it helped you learn and better understand Hip-Hop

interesting and informational because I learned a lot

very fun interesting because we had workshops and different guest

speakers that visited us.

great because I learned about something I never knew before

different because its not a regular class

My favorite part of the class was

when we went canoeing because I never went before

when Joe Leonard came in. I really was interested in what he had to say.

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Summer Scrapbook 2005

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