A Conference to Celebrate & Elevate the Power of Hip Hop (in) Education
Held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Saturday, May 3 | Day Two
Keynotes, workshops, performances, and a whole lot of you just never know...do NOT miss our full conference day for all the amazing Hip Hop storytelling!!
The Intro | 9:30-11:10AM (Askwith Lecture Hall)
9:30-10:00AM
Opening Performances
Two talented artists get the day started:
Dyalekt (MC)
Randy Mason (MC)
10:00-10:20AM
Opening Remarks
Aysha Upchurch, HipHopEX Founder & Director
10:30-11:10
Keynote Presention
EPic Stories:
This keynote remix invites three artists and educators to shed ligh ton their stories as changemakers. This won't be your typical panel. There will be DJ break, visuals, and a whole lot of mic dropping.
Featured Storytellers: Lauren Leigh Kelly, Paul Willis
Side A Workshops | 11:20AM-12:50PM
Anna Lippman &
Elizabeth DiLuzio
LONGFELLOW 228
Hip Hop, Data & The Law
​
Calling all educators and community organizers! Join us for an innovative workshop where hip-hop culture and education intersect. This workshop will share insights into how hip-hop drives dynamic approaches to teaching a wide range of topics from data analysis, law, data storytelling, and legal advocacy. Attendees will not only learn about the foundational aspects of hip-hop that can be leveraged in any classroom, they will also learn two activities for applying its ethos in educational settings. Join us to expand your professional toolkit and engage with a community of like-minded individuals, all through the lens of hip-hop.
​
Anna Lippman, Elizabeth DiLuzio, Bingo del Torro
Pockets Change & First Generation Investors
LONGFELLOW 319
Mic Check, Mind Check, Money Check
​
Dyalekt, Andrea Ferrero-Haggerty & Cole Mattox
Mannika Rosa & David "BS" Bradshaw
LONGFELLOW 320
The Wisdom Of the Room: Sharing and Receiving Inner Stories
Dancers Unlimited
GCC 1
MoveMEANT Sessions
​
MoveMEANT Sessions explore the intersection of storytelling and freestyle movement. Rooted in the spirit of liberation and authenticity, participants are guided through the cypher as a space for healing, connection and expression.
​
Facilitators:
NyRee Clayton-Taylor & Biance Nightengale-Lee
GCC 3
Hip-Hop, Chat GPT, and Honoring Young Black Voices
​
Through innovative teaching methods, a focus on cultural relevance, and the integration of technology like Chat GPT, Hip Hop Into Learning (HHN2L) has become a national program that utilizes the power of hip-hop, technology, and historical heritage knowledge, we are building students knowledge of self for cultural liberation.
Krate Digga
GCC 4
It Was All A Stream...
​
Krate will demonstrate how creatives can blend artistic expression and budget-friendly strategies for audio/video production. Participants will learn how to leverage free and low-cost resources to produce, stream, and record high-quality video content.
Walk out of this session ready for producer credits with newfound insights on streaming and recording content.
Side B Workshops | 2:00-3:30PM
Ashira Mothersil &
Edu Svart
LONGFELLOW 228
We Outside: Empowering Voices through Hip Hop in Music Education
​
In her essay Homeplace (a site of resistance), bell hooks (1990) defines homeplace as a site of healing. These spaces fostered growth and development through radical love that affirmed minds and hearts. In this session, Ashira Mothersil–a choral director, doctoral student, and vocalist–along with Edu Svart–a Chilean musician, psychologist, and professor–will discuss the ways in which they have used Hip Hop pedagogy to create sites of healing in spaces that have been traditionally oppressive and harmful to marginalized folx. This session will begin with an exploration of hip-hop as a tool for rewriting narratives, breaking silence, dismantling stereotypes, and building community in different settings. It will then transition into a collective performance experience that involves voice, improvisation, and music production.
We Do it For the Culture & Teens Under Construction
LONGFELLOW 319
Hip-Hop: SEL With a Mix of Therapy
​
Facilitators: Jamila Samsa, Kareem McQuilkin, Yacosta Jimenez, Shamar Watson
King Charles
GCC 1
How To Do Chicago Footwork
​
King Charles, Chicago Footwork pioneer and international teaching artist, will lead a movement workshop and presentation about "How To Do Chicago Footwork" – sharing Footwork footage, history, culture, foundation, curriculum, and his recently developed Basic Elements pedagogy. Chicago Footwork is a dance form that was created in Chicago during the 1980’s and evolved into a highly complex technical battle style.
Jazzmyn RED & Unlearn the World
GCC 3
Gangbangers, Gods, and Movement Music​
​
Jazzmyn RED and MC/Producer/Educator "UnLearn The World" host a session based on socio-spiritual and political movements throughout Hip Hop's history while exploring the music that provided a soundtrack to the times. Participants will explore early protest music reflected the political movements of the 50’s and 60’s and how Hip Hop later carried the torch forward addressing societal issues. And finally, participants will unpack the challenges of a collectivist mindset in the midst of an extremely individualistic, divided and hyper capitalist society.
Keith Mascoll
GCC 4
Sneaker Therapy: The Story of our Soles
​
Sneakers are the unofficial element of Hip Hop culture. Many of the stories represented in Hip Hop are not just in the music but in the affiliated sneaker culture.The participants will be led to use a narrative art process that promotes liberation of their old narratives to their preferred narratives of their life. They will also gain a better understanding of their inner selves (social science) and how to navigate processing emotion with the use of art and storytelling.
Bonus Track Workshops | 3:45-5:15PM
Chill B Games
LONGFELLOW 319
Changing the Game: Telling Hip Hop Stories Through Board Games
​
While board games have evolved as a unique storytelling medium, they have not been utilized as a means for telling the story of a Hip Hop artist. This session will explore the development of Shaolin – a board game for which the storyline and mechanics were inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan and the group’s 30+ year contribution to American culture. Attendees will have the opportunity to view the game up close and participate in a lightning round of Wu-Tang trivia.
Facilitators: Tiffany Camplongo & Mike Campolongo
Kut the Rug Institute
GCC 1
Sketching with Street Dancers Vol 10 (Lite Feet Edition)
​
Sketching with Street Dancers Vol 10 (Litefeet Edition) is a guided, not so still life, drawing session that connects movement, mark making (drawing) and music. The session features drawing demonstrations and exercises designed to prepare participants to track, trace and transmit the shapes, lines, forms, textures and gestures performed by Jayy Wavy and Red Ink, the featured movement models. The drawing session will be followed by a gallery walk for participants and dancers to see the results of their collaboration in real time. Sketching with Street Dancers was created by Lafotographeuse & is produced by Kut The Rug Institute.
​
Facilitators: Lafotographeuse, Mugen, Noelle, Aurora, Jayy Wavy, Red Ink with music by Sonic
Beats Rhymes Life Boston
GCC 3
This is How We Kick, Push​
​
Come learn about what Beats Rhymes and Life is all about! We will present testimonials of our youth, who share the way that hip hop has inspired them, and how their experience with BRL has helped to empower them. A youth will be present to perform an original work and discuss how hip hop allowed them tell their story. We then give participants a chance to tell their stories, building off an activity we call Flowcab.
​
Facilitators: Big Mike Mendes, Melissa Sanon, Jalen Williams, Stephanie Sabins
Genius Potential
GCC 4
Epic Rap Battles of Black History: Hip Hop as a Tool to Teach History and Social Justice
​
Want to see innovative, and proven examples of how hip hop bridges the gap between today’s learners and the history and social justice ideas we want them to grasp? This workshop will showcase how Genius Potential has effectively brought historical icons to life, and sparked actionable social justice dialogue through rap battles. Imagine going back in time and seeing Booker T. Washington battle the ideologies of Dubois through rhymes. Or bridging generational gaps between Langston and Kendrick . Through hip hop & pop culture, participants will learn how we use modern approaches to teach opposing perspectives of Black icons.
​
Facilitators: Bert & Det
The Outro | 5:20-6:30PM (Askwith Lecture Hall)
5:20-5:45
Community Cypher
HipHopEX Fellow & HGSE Student Vincent Ferguson will activate the space in a truly unique way to gather up all the storytelling vibes as the conference nears a close.
5:50-6:15
Performances
East Blue Pirates (dance)
The Real Young Prodigys (MCs)
6:15-6:30
The Wrap-Up
Closing remarks for the conference...and the story of HipHopEX at HGSE from Aysha Upchurch.