The EQ Magazine — Issue 3: WBL Academy

Issue 3 focuses on the Words Beats & Life Academy, the organization’s foundational arts education program, and its impact on youth, teaching artists, and communities in Washington, D.C. Featuring a cover story conversation with past and present WBL Academy Directors reflecting on more than two decades of education through hip-hop, the issue also includes profiles of creative leaders Holly Bass, Mas Paz, and Ugandan rapper and organizer Babaluku, a powerful youth poetry feature addressing gun violence, culinary profiles from Eats+Beats, and photo essays capturing the 2023 Words Beats & Life Festival and international breaking culture in Brazil.

Contributors: Dominic Painter, Mazi Mutafa, Adrienne Bedsole, Erica Keith, Elizabeth Posada, Mikal Amin Lee, Sabrina Wigfall, Abigail Kussow, Richard Soben.

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Read the Issue (Flipbook)

Read the full issue of The EQ. magazine directly on this page. Flip through Issue 3 to explore Words Beats & Life’s arts education programs, organizational priorities and the impact of hip-hop education in Washington, D.C. and beyond.

About This Issue: Arts Education & Impact

Issue 3 highlights Words Beats & Life’s arts education ecosystem and the people who power its programs. This edition reflects on WBL’s growth, community impact and commitment to centering youth, culture and creative development.

Through interviews, retrospectives and photo essays, the issue documents academy programs, alumni voices and the cultural work happening across the DMV. The stories connect education, mentorship and creative opportunity as essential tools for long-term change.

This issue serves as a snapshot of WBL’s impact — past, present and future — rooted in hip-hop culture and community engagement.

What’s Inside This Issue

  • Academy impact stories and program highlights

  • Alumni reflections and extended WBL family features

  • Photo essays from cultural events and global exchanges

  • Arts education priorities and organizational growth

  • Retrospective looks at murals, music and movement

Issue Details

  • Publisher: Words Beats & Life Inc.

  • Publication: The EQ. magazine

  • Issue: Issue 3

  • Theme: Arts Education & Impact

  • Format: Print and digital magazine

  • Focus Areas: Arts education, youth development, community culture

  • Writers & Contributors: Dominic Painter, Mazi Mutafa, Adrienne Bedsole, Erica Keith, Elizabeth Posada, Mikal Amin Lee, Sabrina Wigfall, Abigail Kussow, Richard Soben.

  • Audience: Youth, parents, educators, artists and supporters

 
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For the Culture, PublicationsAdrienne BedsoleThe EQ.