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“Dear Tupac, you speak to me”: Recruiting Hip Hop as Curriculum at a School for Pregnant and Parenting Teens

2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 42; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/10665680802612642

1547-3457

Heidi L. Hallman,

Multilingual Education and Policy

Abstract This article provides a rich representation of how in-school practices that recruit students' "out-of-school" literacies, such as hip hop, can be used as critical bridges in students' learning. Hip hop, conceptualized in this article as an "out-of-school" literacy, works as a vehicle for curricular change at Eastview School for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. In so doing, such literacy learning can be a tool for social action. Because the literacy learning of "at risk" students, as the students who attend Eastview School for Pregnant and Parenting Teens are labeled, is often described through remedial or basic skills models of instruction, it is imperative that researchers document curricular change that challenges prevailing assumptions about the learning of "at risk" students. Notes 1. The status of the "at risk" student as used throughout this article extends beyond the pregnant and parenting teen and includes all students whose literacy learning "mismatches" school-based literacy, a term that aligns with teachers' monologic teaching script and students' limited opportunity and participation in tasks beyond recitation and memorization of facts (see CitationGutierrez, Rymes, & Larson, 1995). 2. The term "identity" as used in this article emphasizes that one's position within society is constituted both by inhabiting a position of agent and subject. Identities always move between these two positions and are variable, multivocal, and interactive, as opposed to coherent and static (CitationHolland et al., 1998). 3. In 1992 Rennie Harris founded Rennie Harris Puremovement (RHPM) to preserve and share his appreciation of hip hop culture. RHPM does extensive outreach activities including dance workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and discussions. These programs aim to engender dialogue about racism and teach about hip hop culture (see www.rhpm.org). 4. Eminem's breakthrough came in 1999 with the release of The Slim Shady LP. "Stan," the third single of The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) has been revered as one of the greatest rap songs of all time. 5. The success of Usher's 2004 album, Confessions, coincided with the time I spent as a researcher at Eastview School for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. Usher's album had three singles inside Hot 100's top ten. Like Aaliyah, who is also discussed later in this article, Usher is not clearly a "hip hop" icon, but may be affiliated with the hip hop genre through his work with Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Jon, and others. 6. Tupac Shakur was tragically killed in September of 1996. He has been revered in the rap and hip hop world for his outstanding contributions.