Hip Hop and our Education System

I loved reading the article “Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis” by A. A. Akom. I felt that this article made many notable points that are extremely important. Such as hip hops meaning and purpose, and the affect that it can have on human beings. 

            Growing up, I took dance lessons at my local dance school. I took many different disciplines, including hip hop. During my years at the studio, I got to learn from a variety of professional instructors. One I remember said something along the lines of how all dancers know the technical positions from ballet including, position and second position, but they don’t know the technical positions of hip hop. The instructor went on to tell us that we need to understand the dance movements we are performing, and where they came from. We need to understand the history, which is similar to what Akom outlines in the article. 

            I believe that to help promote social justice and youth activism in the classroom by using hip hop is for children to experience the hip hop culture. Experiential learning is extremely beneficial to a child’s learning. It allows them to gain a different perspective on what they are learning. One example of this could be learning basic hip hop steps. If a teacher finds that their class is losing their focus, they could take a break by standing up and moving around and learning a hip hop step, plus an important fact on the hip hop culture. As the children learn these steps, they can put them all together into a routine. 

            The relationship between hip hop culture and the development of critical consciousness amongst students can be seen in the way that hip hop allows children to express themselves in their own way. Children have the right to learn about everything that happens in the world today, since they are a part of it. They have the right to ask questions, so they can develop their own opinions and become their own person. When people perform hip hop, they put their heart and soul into a routine. You can see and grasp an understanding about who they are. All cultures in our world today are equally important, and it is important that the hip hop culture is seen as well.

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