Hip Hop

Teaching Tolerance ran The ABCs - The Anti-Bias Classroom Series - from 2006 to 2008. The ABCs were online curriculum packages for educators and each installment of The ABCs offered classroom activities and professional development resources for teachers at all grade levels. From women’s history to service learning to hip hop, each thematic unit allowed for educators to “click, print and use” materials immediately.

The ABCs gave Jeff the opportunity to co-write with some of the most prominent scholars in the field of multicultural education, scholars like Bill Bigelow and Linda Christensen of Rethinking Schools Magazine, Carl Grant of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Jacqueline Jordan Irvine of Emory University, Christine Sleeter of California State University, Monterey Bay, and Paul Gorski of EdChange.org. These scholars have contributed to the classic works that multicultural educators use to teach and cite as core pieces of literature in research.

The ABCs of Hip Hop

March 7, 2007 - Acknowledging the political and social landscape that nourished the roots of hip hop culture, more educators are embracing this musical form to teach across disciplines and engage students in fresh new ways.

By Camille Jackson

Introduction

Hip hop as a cultural movement has captivated the imagination of youth worldwide, and more teachers than ever are realizing the energy and spirit of hip hop can excite and engage students unlike any other teaching tool. This month - March is Music in Our Schools Month - Teaching Tolerance encourages educators everywhere to bring hip hop into their classrooms.

Public commentators routinely, and rightly, criticize some hip hop artists’ embrace of misogyny, homophobia, racism and consumer culture. Left out of such critiques, however, is affirmation and exploration of hip hop’s longstanding tradition of social resistance. In the words of Chuck D, founder of Public Enemy, hip hop is “the CNN” of today’s youth, offering commentary on persistent societal ills.

“Nothing else, currently, allows for you to talk about race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, politics and the economy like hip hop music and culture,” says Michael Barnes, a doctoral candidate at the University of California at Berkley, whose dissertation examines hip hop DJ culture.

In this edition of the ABCs (Anti-Bias Classroom), Teaching Tolerance encourages teachers to join with students in exploring the history of hip hop and the political and social contexts that support this dynamic global movement for social change.

Ilouise Bradford, Tafeni English, Jennifer Holladay, Carrie Kilman, Lavie Raven, Jeff Sapp, and Rhonda Thomasom and Victoria Williams contributed to this edition of the ABCs.

That’s the introduction to this comprehensive ABC package. The rest is on its way soon, so check back in a few weeks! And thank you for your patience as I get my content up!

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