Education | DomingoYu.com - Hip-hop Education | Identity | Music

Hip-hop Book Review: Small Island

Small Island is a complex, multi-layered book addressing a number of if issues such as race, gender, religion, and identity in general, set to the background of World War-II era England and Jamaica.

Curriculum: Green Day and The Enlightment Period

I recently used this video in a World History class to see if students could apply themes we studied. This video deals with the idea of religion versus spirituality. While the majority of my teaching is standards based, I also like to work in these types of activities to keep things interesting and see if students are making connections.

Hip-hop Book Review: Tengo Casi 500 Anos: Africa’s Legacy in Mexico, Central and South America

It’s probably safe to say that most people think of Africa’s legacy in the Americas as primarily restricted to the United States and Brazil. As this book shows, this is far from the case.

Hip-hop Book Review: How To Rent-A-Negro

This gem was passed to me by my friend Gloria while I was supposed to be relaxing down in Mobile, AL a couple of years ago. Instead of getting me to relax, it actually got my brain working harder, which was the author’s point. The basic premise of the book is that Black folks are sick and tired of White people objectifying them and taking them for granted. Since these interactions are inevitable, African Americans should be compensated for having to put up with this behavior and the book is full of faux invoices and advice for both the renters and rentees. Need an African American companion so you don’t look racist? Want to make money answering questions about poverty, gangs, and gospel music? Then this book is for you!

Hip-hop Book Review: Twilight

Oakland Unity High School 9th Grader reviews one of her favorite books about love in the supernatural world.

Curriculum: Black History Trivia

February's already passed, but since Black history is year round you can use this any time. While it's hardly all inclusive, I did try to make it global. There's a bit of California leaning, but since that's where I teach I had to represent for the home team!

Hip-hop Book Review: Twenty-Five Chickens and a Pig for a Bride

To merely describe Twenty-Five Chickens as a history of Filipinos in California’s Bay Areas does an incredible disservice to an extraordinary woman’s tale of tracing her families roots in the Philippines and American south, to her present-day community activism. Although Filipino Americans are the heart of the story, the diversity of the Bay comes out, with everyone from Mexican farm workers to leaders in the gay rights movement playing a role in her life.

Hip-hop Book Review: I Got Thunder: Black Woman Songwriters and Their Craft

An insightful review of a book highlighting interviews with prominent singers and songwriters, including Abbey Lincoln, Angelique Kidjo, Brenda Russell, Chaka Khan, Dianne Reeves, Dionne Warwick, Miriam Makeba, Narissa Bond, Nina Simone, Nona Hendryx, Oleta Adams, Pamela Means, Shemekia Copeland, Shirley Caesar, Tokunbo Akinro, Toshi Reagon, and Tramaine Hawkins.

Hip-hop Book Review: Audacity of Hope

There isn’t anything particularly new here if you keep up with the news and have watched a fair number of his interviews. Having said that, it’s not a bad read, just not particularly insightful in a world of 24/7 media and seemingly limitless info on the internet.

Hip-hop Book Review: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Hurston addresses common topics such as racism and sexism, but also class and skin color differences within the African American community. While in modern times these issues are more widely discussed, the original printing was in 1937, from a woman no less.

Education Event: Beyond Beats and Rhymes-St. Louis, MO

This documentary takes an in-depth look at the machismo in rap music and hip-hop culture, where creative genius, poetic beauty and mad beats collide with misogyny, violence and homophobia. Produced in association with ITVS and NBPC.

Education Event: Weapons of Miseducation

On August 3rd, student organizers from Making Waves and Youth Speaks will bring together hundreds of young people, community organizers and artists to SF State. The Summit is FREE to youth and provides panels and workshops, followed by an Arts Festival featuring some of the hottest performers, DJs and artists bringing conscious flavor and culture to the stage.