I have never thought about hip hop being a way of teaching students social justice and activism. I have never heard of it either. After reading “Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis” by A. Akom, I see how it could be useful in certain classrooms. There are versions of hip hop from everywhere in the world and for this pedagogical approach to work I think that the teacher would really need to emphasize this.
Akom mentions multiple reasons why this is a good approach. Some examples are it is participatory and youth driven, it is cooperative and it foregrounds social differences like race and gender. In order to promote activism and social justice from critical hip hop pedagogy you could have the students partner up and each pick a different form of hip hop from different regions around the world. The students could then research hip hop in this region and explain ways that this form of hip hop has made changes in the region. For example, has it encouraged equality and inclusivity between races and gender? There are so many different ways that critical hip hop pedagogy can be used in the classroom.
As Akom says, analyzing and researching hip hop requires a lot of critical thinking. This article also notes that researching hip hop can encourage inquiry and curiosity in the students (Akom, 2009, 55). These two skills, critical thinking and questioning, are essential for students in order to develop critical consciousness.
Akom A. (2009). Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy as a Form of Liberatory Praxis. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 52-66