In the reading “Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis” by Akom, he discusses a teaching strategy referred to as Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy (CHHP). He states that “this approach attempts to address deep-rooted ideologies to social inequities by creating a space in teacher education courses for prospective teachers to re-examine their knowledge of hip hop as it intersects with race, class, gender, and sexual orientation” (Akom, 2009, p. 52). I see this type of approach as being very effective as a tool when it comes to social justice since the youth already have strong relations to the hip hop culture. With this being said, it is clear that youth have an interest in hip hop which means there is a good chance they will show interest in school related activities revolving around hip hop. This is important being that “it challenges the role that schools play in reproducing social inequality” (Akom, 2009, p. 63). This type of pedagogy is something that I have never heard of prior to reading this article, but with the topic of oppression being discussed in class, I understand why Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy is a functional way for students to recognize and take action against this oppression seen within education. 

When thinking about how hip hop can be used as a tool to promote social justice and youth activism in the classroom, it is important to see that hip hop is more than what people typically see it as, which is simply as a genre of music or a type of dance. It has roots “in the long history of the Black freedom struggle and the quest for self-determination for oppressed communities around the world” (Akom, 2009, p. 53). When looking at hip hop in this context, it is easy to see how there are many activities and lessons that could be used in the classroom to promote social justice and youth activism. As seen within the work of hip hop artists, there can potentially be engagement and open discussions that evolve from the hip hop culture. This promotes awareness and allows for the removal of the norms that often silence students. It is a tool that reveals “problems of poverty, police brutality, patriarchy, misogyny, incarceration, [and] racial discrimination” (Akom, 2009, p. 54). This revelation will produce an environment in which students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts on the past issues to allow them to consider ways in which they can create a better future in terms of social justice. With this pedagogical approach being student-centered, there is the opportunity for the problems that students of colour face to be identified through hip hop, allowing for the cause to be analyzed and a solution to be found. It is suggested that students should analyze data within the hip hop culture such as “field notes, video footage, photo-voice, web research, artifacts of popular culture, interviews, archival research, oral history, and surveys” (Akom, 2009, p. 55). Upon doing this research, students can then use their findings and link them to their community issues that must be solved. I can see hip hop being used as a tool to form school work that explores social justice and that has direct ties to the curriculum, which can be done by taking an issue from hip hop culture and engaging students in how they can seek social change. I believe that all of this allows for genuine questions, and even answers, to be generated by the students, leading to more youth activism. 

The relationship between hip hop culture and the development of critical consciousness amongst students is essential for students to make connections to their own lives. The origins of hip hop can be defined as being very complicated, but Akom describes it in a broader way in which it “has multiple elements, histories, origins, and births” (Akom, 2009, p. 52). Hip hop culture involves a language that dominates amongst the youth and is where theory can be merged with practice. In order for students to form critical consciousness, they must have a deep understanding of their world, meaning they must be exposed to social issues and be able to act against these issues. This generally cannot be done in this case without first looking into hip hop culture. There is the need for students to understand and, in a way, experience the issues that correlate with hip hop before they can even begin to develop a critical consciousness. This relationship is all about the students having the freedom to form their own opinions in order to build this critical consciousness that is needed to act on the social justice issues that are portrayed within the hip hop culture. In particular, the marginalized youth are able to gain this critical consciousness through observing the hip hop culture and how their personal experiences have been shaped by something much larger. I believe that it is important for each student to develop their own unique critical consciousness relating to social justice, which can only be done through the presentation of hip hop culture in the classroom.

References:

Akom, A. A. (2009). Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 52-66.