Teaching Black History through Material Culture: Using Hip Hop Artifacts as an Inquiry-Based Learning Approach to Teach Black History

Note: This workshop is intended for teachers and is limited to 20 participants. There is a workshop for students on April 20 and one specifically for music teachers on April 21.

Using historical artifacts through the lens of hip hop culture, this intriguing workshop provides students space to develop their own questions regarding the material objects presented in the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. Inquiry-based learning is a student-centered approach that allows students to ask questions that lead to a deeper understanding of hip-hop culture and its connection to broader Black social, cultural, and political movements.

Dr. Khalid el-Hakim lends his unique perspective and expertise as a former social studies teacher to invite the audience to participate in hands-on activities, using artifacts to delve into a deeper understanding and appreciation of Black history and culture.

About Dr. el-Hakim

Dr. Khalid el-Hakim is the founder and curator of the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, a collection of over 7,000 original artifacts of Black memorabilia dating from the trans-Atlantic slave trade era to hip-hop culture. Dr. el-Hakim has been called the “Schomburg of the Hip-Hop generation” because of his passionate commitment to carry on the rich tradition of the Black Museum Movement. He has received national and international attention for his innovative work of exhibiting Black history outside of traditional museum spaces. Most recently Dr. el-Hakim was given the distinct honor of being named among the Change Makers for NBC Universal’s Erase the Hate campaign and was one of the 100 Men of Distinction for 2017 in Black Enterprise magazine.

As the nation’s premiere Black history traveling exhibit, the Black History 101 Mobile Museum has exhibited in 40 states at over 500 institutions including: colleges/universities, K-12 schools, corporations, libraries, conferences, and cultural events making it the most sought-after exhibit of its kind in America. In 2013, he published The Center of the Movement: Collecting Hip Hop Memorabilia, a groundbreaking book on the material artifacts of hip-hop culture. Dr. El-Hakim has also worked for over twenty years in the hip hop industry as a manager and/or booking agent for artists such as The Last Poets, Proof of D12, Jessica Care Moore, and Professor Griff of Public Enemy. Dr. el-Hakim taught middle school social studies in Detroit for 15 years and recently founded the Michigan Hip Hop Archive which opens on the campus of Western Michigan University in 2020

To learn more, watch the video below.