Words Beats & Life, Inc. : On The Front Lines of Change

For the past 7 years, the nonprofit organization Words Beats & Life, Inc (WBL), has been transforming the lives and communities of Washington, D.C. through the elements and influence of hip-hop culture. The outcome of an annual hip-hop conference at the University of Maryland, one of the conferences organizers and now Executive Director Mazi Mutafa wanted to take the next step.  In 2003, WBL was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization with 501c3 status in the District of Columbia and began developing its first program, The DC Urban Arts Academy (DCUAA). 

With an alarming 68% graduation rate of high school seniors in Washington DC in 2009, Words Beats & Life Inc, is dedicated to excite students about learning and prepare them for graduation and college. The DCUAA uses hip-hop as a social foundation through which to reach the youth on a meaningful level, deconstructing the conventional environments under which academic achievement is promoted. The academy curriculum is designed to foster skill set mastery in a chosen area of performance or production (including literacy and math skills), preparation for employment, and preparation for post-secondary educational pursuits.  Through our custom curriculum our goal is to increase skill set mastery, employability, and college readiness for participants in the Urban Arts Academy at each campus. These outcomes will mitigate the citywide problems that individual students may face.

Through the integration of innovative hip-hop curriculum their teachers aid in using hip-hop as the ideal medium through which to create such a buffer. It is through the development of intergenerational relationships rooted in hip-hop culture, the staff of the Urban Arts Academy work closely with the students as Mentors. The academy is geared to foster a new generation of innovative young people who see the value in education as artists and as scholars by providing interactive classes in the four elements of hip-hop and an apprentice leadership program. Along with their signature events, and community partnerships, the DCUAA invites the DC metropolitan community to experience the next age of hip-hop artistry and scholarship.

One of their long standing and most successful DCUAA signature events is Bum Rush the Boards,  the only hip-hop chess tournament in DC, which draws over 300 youth annually to compete and engage in the game of chess. For the past 4 years, Words Beats & Life, Inc. has combined hip-hop culture and the game of chess to illustrate innovative educational strategies that encourage participants to think critically about their future and invest in their own success. With their 5^th annual tournament being held at the Historical Society of Washington DC, it is sure to be our most successful tournament to date in both size and scope.

“This year, we are introducing a new approach to our tournament that reflects our new S.T.E.M.A. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Arts) based focus for the tournament,” says Executive Director Mazi Mutafa. “We are offering participants a different kind of experience of hip-hop; we are calling ‘the engineering of a culture’.  Hip-hop artifacts offer the opportunity for participants to learn about science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art.  Together our approach to chess and hip-hop are blended to create a unique experience where participants can gain a wealth of knowledge while engaging in a fun activity.”

To learn more about Words Beats & Life Inc. please log on to www.wblinc.org.

Posted by The Cotillion Online on Mar 18 2010. Filed under Art, Music, Culture & Lifestyle, Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry