Interdisciplinary Indigenous Hip Hop Network Podcast, Episode 2 - Hip Hop University
This session of the IIHHN Podcast features Oba Sankofa, educator and founder of the Hip Hop University.
Hello all,
Welcome to the next episode of the Interdisciplinary Indigenous Hip Hop Network (IIHHN) podcast. This session features Oba Sankofa, the founder/educator of the Hip Hop University and the Hip Hop Olympics.
Oba Sankofa shares his journey from early academic starts to founding a curriculum centered exclusively around Hip Hop. As a math teacher in West Philadelphia, Oba Sankofa works year-round to support a rich, academic-centered environment for middle school students, which culminates in the annual Hip Hop Olympics.
The work produced by Oba Sankofa is independently driven. The website for the organization, www.thahiphopolympics.com, includes contact information and ways in which people can see their work and support through different levels.
A short bio of Oba Sankofa and the development of the Hip Hop University:
“Now living in West Philly, Oba Sankofa has been teaching for ten years in the Philadelphia District serving grades K to College in a variety of subjects including Math, Science, Social Studies, and Cooperative Economics. He noticed a lack of relatable curriculum in urban schools, primarily for black children, and created The University of RAP, which engages scholars using a Hip Hop pedagogy. In 2022, his organization started Tha Hip Hop Olympics, a free intergenerational event that helps grade school students achieve academic mastery through events that represent the Ten Elements of Hip Hop. He graduated from Rowan University in 2011 and received the “30 under 30” from the Funtimes Magazine in 2018. Currently, he teaches at Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School in Southwest Philadelphia.”
Instagram for Hip Hop University, @oba1sankofa
Enjoy this virtual couch conversation with Oba Sankofa, and do not hesitate to reach out to www.thahiphopolympics.com to support and get involved.
More about the Hip Hop University and the work of the Hip Hop Olympics can be found on the website, www.iihhn.wordpress.com, on the Events page.
Alan Lechusza Aquallo
#xsitethechange #xsitethecall