Theory of Liberation

Theory of Liberation - Image 1 — Problem

Inner city youth or color in San Francisco bear the brunt of multiple social, academic, and health inequities. There are harmful institutions and public policies that criminalize youth of color, while neglecting their basic needs and perpetuating intergenerational cycles of poverty and trauma. There is a critical need for educational settings to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogies and practices, with an innovative curriculum that develops empowered identities who have a deeper analysis on the conditions of their urban environments. In a rapidly gentrifying city with the lowest population of children than all major cities in the U.S., our contribution to movements for youth justice is our multidisciplinary model and approach to the empowerment of young leaders who defend the last remaining working-class families.

Theory of Liberation - Image 2 — solution

We envision empowered and equitable communities, where systems are transformed to comprehensively meet the needs of youth through holistic systems of care, healing, and well-being. Across inner cities nationwide, youth have been central creators and leaders in their communities. In light of the resilience of young people of color, we uplift their historical role in the frontlines of diverse movements for education, health, equity, and social justice. We believe that Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy and Ethnic Studies frameworks can be used in diverse settings of youth development to honor their resilience, while supporting their understandings of self-determination, agency, and health equity. When youth are provided holistic, asset-based, culturally relevant spaces of shared-power, then young people can be supported to reclaim their futures by implementing action plans that directly confront social inequalities to positively shift lifelong health trajectories of their communities.

RESEARCH

Culturally Relevant Practices: Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy

Akom, A. A. (2009). Critical hip hop pedagogy as a form of liberatory praxis. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 52-66. Chicago
Basu, D., & Lemelle, S. J. (2006). The Vinyl Ain't Final: hip hop and the globalization of black popular culture. Pluto Press. Chicago
Land, R. R., & Stovall, D. O. (2009). Hip hop and social justice education: A brief introduction. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42(1), 1-5.
Samuel Fels Foundation (2006). Do The Knowledge: A Standards Based Hip-Hop Learning Guide. [PDF]
Stovall, D. (2006). We can relate: Hip-hop culture, critical pedagogy, and the secondary classroom. Urban Education, 41(6), 585-602. Chicago
Tribeca Film Institute (n.d.). Beat Street [Educator Guide] [PDF]
Williams, A. D. (2009). The critical cultural cypher: Remaking Paulo Freire’s cultural circles using hip hop culture. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 2(1), 1-29. Chicago

Critical Education: Ethnic Studies Pedagogy

Civic Engagement: Campaigns Resources

IMPACT