2024 All-School Community Read

Dive into Hip-Hop Culture: 2024 All-School Summer Read

Since its inception as party music in the early 1970s, evolving into protest music later that decade, and growing into a global phenomenon, Hip-Hop has captivated fans young and old alike. As distinctly American as jazz and baseball, Hip Hop thrives on four foundational elements: MCing (or “rapping”), DJing, Breakdancing, Graffiti, and Knowledge. Its pervasive presence in the lives of our students makes it an ideal choice for our upcoming All-School Read. Whether students are discovering the culture for the first time, living it daily, or subtly incorporating its forms of self-expression, we invite learners of all ages to explore one of the most impactful cultural movements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We'll delve into its influence on social and political movements for human rights, and its rise as a global influencer in fashion, music, and art. Through thoughtful engagement, we'll address complex topics within Hip-Hop, fostering understanding of its challenges such as hyper-masculinity, misogyny, and homophobia, while appreciating its profound contribution to our lives.