After a three-year hiatus, Remixing the Art of Social Change is back! We are excited to partner with DC Public Libraries to present some amazing panels and breakout workshops on Saturday, April 8th dedicated to exploring the power and potential of hip-hop culture at this moment with fans, scholars, artists, and activists engaging each other in conversations about what is and what could be. The themes being explored during the conference are being driven by our Vision for 2040.
If you are attending for the entire day, please just get a "General Admission" ticket. That's all you need to attend the full day.
If you are not able to attend the entire day but want to attend a specific "Single Event", please just get a ticket for that single event.
Agenda:
Hip-Hop Futures: The Next 50 (10 am-11 am)
This panel is dedicated to showcasing some of the most innovative programs in the United States and around the world. This is a panel to share experiences from the last 50 years of hip-hop culture while sharing ideas about what the priorities and impacts should be in the next 50 years.
Featuring Panelist: Dr. Elliot Gann, Today's Future Sound (California). Piper Carter, We Found Hip-Hop (Michigan), Martha Diaz, The Hip-Hop Education Center (New York), and Dr. Msia Clark, The Hip-Hop African (Howard University, DC).
This panel will be facilitated by Mazi Mutafa
Rap Laureate Presentation: Lupe Fiasco (11:10 am-12:10 pm)
For this inaugural Rap Laureate, we made the choice to focus on the body of work of one of the most impactful MCs of the last 20 years. We chose him because of his willingness to create commercial, underground, poignant, and political music that in some way is a throwback to previous generations of MCs with the added attention of a large audience willing to engage in dialogue about tough topics connected to his music.
Featuring Panelists: Prowess the Testaments, Dr. Jason Nichols, and Mikal Lee. This panel will be facilitated by Substantial.
Lunch Break (12:10 pm-12:45 pm)
Lunch will be provided to all general admission registrants.
Towards 2040 Fellows (Breakout Session) (1:00 pm-2:20 pm) This panel will be facilitated by Asad Ali Jafri
This series of breakout sessions are presented by the 2040 Fellows of Words Beats & Life. Each of them will lead an individual presentation of the work they have been doing for the last 10 months to create work intended to get us all close to the Vision for 2040.
Envisioning connection through the architecture of in-between places, Postcards from Vacancy is an interactive exhibition that examines how we occupy the spaces around us. It features photography, lyrics, and invites personal memories to create layered and complex stories about the growth that comes after.
The artistic economy is growing exponentially making what could seem like the unconventional path a much more common journey. Join Queena in an interactive exhibit to discuss, and visualize the choices, sacrifices and rewards of becoming a career creative.
Join Din for a deep dive into Things I Never Said (TINTS). TINTS employs clever lyricism and dexterous flow as a launching point to community discussion about grief, loss, and the myriad meandering paths one might take toward healing.
JAQUANDA means Beautiful Spirit. I am doing my best to fully live as such. As an Artist, I embrace my coherent ability to love & heal. I am a curator of love and joy and I invite you to re-member &. Re-energize your DNA 💜POWER. In this sweet & peaceful 40 mins you will tap into your unique practice, ritual, and tool gathering to use beyond this workshop, that hopefully will bring you rememberance of your inner power and ability to re-energize when you experience a dim in your LOVE light. Let’s drink smoothies, Circle up story share, Write your Mantra, Reiki boost or Practice a chair yoga flow
Intikana will be speaking about the process of writing his upcoming book Native Eyez and his upcoming solo publishing debut. Native Eyez is a Hip-Hop memoir and curriculum exploring the journey of self-discovery through narrative, history, and Afro-Indigenous wisdom. The book will help young people by giving them direction and inspiration along their path of self-enlightenment and empowerment.
The 5th Element: The State of Hip-Hop Scholarship (2:30 pm-3:30 pm)
Innovative hip-hop scholarship is transformational. We are honored to have scholars whose work is brilliant and important to hip-hop scholarship, hip-hop education, activism, and arts. We want to use this time to explore the impact and future of hip-hop scholarship in the United States.
Featured Panelists:
Dr. Imani Kai Johnson author of Dark Matter in Breaking Ciphers and Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Hip-Hop Dance studies
Jeff Chang, author of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation and his newest book "Freedom Moves: Hip Hop Knowledges, Pedagogies, and Futures Volume 3"
Dr. Jared Ball, author of "I Mix What I Like: A Mixtape Manifesto" and "The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power"
This panel will be facilitated by Mazi Mutafa
RSVP LINK
