Explicit Language Warning: Engaging "Conscientization" Through Hip-Hop Culture

• In Event: Explicit Language: Hip-Hop, Social Justice, and Knowledge of Self

Abstract

While hip-hop’s presence in education has been well documented and is becoming increasingly leveraged as a content level intervention, many sites of hip-hop education focus on the performative aspects of the culture while neglecting the socio-political forms of resistance and identity construction (or knowledge of self) that birthed and gives thrivance to hip-hop culture. This paper argues that without an explicit naming of critical consciousness, fundamental forms of dominant ideologies that privilege White, middle class sensibilities remain firmly entrenched in school structures and systems regardless of how catchy and innovative they might seem. In other words, in order to decolonize the classroom, the intent to do so must be stated outright.
To that end, drawing from Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Critical Pedagogy particularly Friere’s notion of “conscientization," this paper examines how democratic education and social justice education in public schools is realized through a student centered, directed, and created hip-hop studies program. Particularly, this paper argues that meaningful social justice education requires an explicit understanding of “knowledge of self” that is already organically embedded in hip-hop aesthetic practices, praxis, and pedagogy. Ultimately, this paper explores responses to the question, “What does hip-hop culture teach about democratic life and the development of critical consciousness”.

Author

• Michael B Dando, St Cloud State University