Beatlab: How a Hip-Hop Digital Space Became an Outlet for Political Dialogue

• In Event: TLC at APSA: Thinking Outside the Box to Increase Student Engagement

Abstract

This paper explores the implications of a project called “Beatlab,” a digital music studio that was created at Chestnut Hill College as a gathering place to craft music (beats) and write personal reflections (rhymes). I document how the Beatlab emerged as a safe space for expression and self-exploration and in turn, became a hub for conversation around complex political issues for the College and beyond.

Author

• Jeffrey Carroll, Chestnut Hill College