Rhymes, Resistance, and the Rise of the Superhero in the Classroom: A Critical Pedagogical Vision for DEI

• In Event: Hip Hop in the Margins: Hip Hop, Comics, and Critical Speculative Pedagogies

Abstract

This paper proposes a critical pedagogical model that merges hip-hop culture with superhero comic books to teach diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in grade 6–12 classrooms. Grounded in Paulo Freire’s (2018) vision of education as a tool for social transformation, the model rejects the “banking model” of instruction and embraces a co-constructive learning process that empowers students to challenge dominant narratives and engage in praxis—reflection and action for change.
While comic books are often used to teach literature (Dallacqua, 2020; Kachorsky & Reid, 2022; Wallner, 2017, 2020) or specific content areas like history (Aiken, 2020), art (Berkowitz & Packer, 2001), psychology (Young et al., 2013), and medicine (Araya et al., 2021; Rani, 2022), a notable gap exists in scholarship that utilizes superhero narratives as tools for DEI education. Superhero stories—such as Black Panther, X-Men, and Ms. Marvel—offer rich allegories for oppression, identity, and resistance. Paired with hip-hop, which serves both as cultural content and as a method for critical expression, these texts create an engaging, multimodal entry point for DEI learning that honors students’ cultural capital.
This model aligns with the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting theme, “Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures,” by drawing on cultural forms rooted in resistance to center marginalized histories and envision just futures. Hip-hop lyrics that address racial injustice and comic book narratives inspired by civil rights struggles become tools for “unforgetting.” Afrofuturist superhero stories and student-generated rap verses serve as acts of “futuring,” helping learners imagine and articulate equitable alternatives to present injustices.
The framework invites classroom activities that emphasize voice, analysis, and creative agency. For example:
Students analyze hip-hop lyrics and superhero comics to explore shared themes of discrimination and resistance.
They examine historical events allegorized in comic book narratives alongside corresponding hip-hop texts;
They create original rap verses that respond to DEI issues while referencing superhero figures to amplify their messages.
These activities humanize DEI conversations, making them less abstract and more accessible, particularly in today’s climate, where DEI efforts are increasingly under threat. This approach equips students with a critical lens to connect cultural narratives to real-world inequities, while also building empathy and social awareness.
This paper presents a culturally sustaining and politically responsive framework for DEI instruction that aligns with AERA's call for work that reclaims forgotten histories and engages students in shaping the future. By bringing together hip-hop, superhero comics, and critical pedagogy, the model positions education as an emancipatory practice capable of resisting erasure and reimagining possibility (McLaren, 2024).

Author

• Mike Nguyen, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering