A Grassroots Celebration of Mazi Mutafa and Words, Beats, & Life!
Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by Leshell Hatley in Psychology, Scholarly Celebrations
Mazi Mutafa - Exec. Dir. of Words, Beats, & Life
NEW: CHECK OUT WBL, INC. OPEN HOUSE
JULY 11TH 12NOON-4PM!
We start this week with a celebration of Words, Beats, and Life – the actual organization, that is, and its founder/Executive Director, Mazi Mutufa. He shares his experiences in an interview here with Perspectives from the Pipeline.
Words, Beats, and Life, Inc. had its beginnings at the University of Maryland’s Hip-Hop Conference in 2000. In 2003, Mazi Mutafa and two of his fellow students, officially incorporated WBL, Inc. in Ward 7 of Washington, DC with a mission to transform individual lives and communities through hip-hop. Soon after, the development of the organization’s first program, The Urban Arts Academy was in full swing.
Today, The Urban Arts Academy is a multimedia arts program which offers workshops in organized graffiti writing (mural creation), scratch dj-ing, and rapping and writing to youth in its surrounding communities. WBL, Inc. now offers these same workshops, official called The University Project, to students on college campuses with a goal to reconnect college students with the communities around them, while educating these students about the art of hip-hop. These workshops are combined with what WBL calls ‘The Great Pop Culture Debate.’ This This debate engages participants in critical discussion around issues of popular culture, and has two components. The first is a multi-round debate between scholars and artists on various topics related to pop culture. The second phase involves small group facilitated discussions and debate lead by the artists and scholars. Sample Topic: “Gay bashing on Wax,” “Sexual Exploitation,” “Media Representation,” “Rap music vs. Hip-hop culture,” etc.
But WBL, Inc. hasn’t stopped there. WBL, Inc. also hosts what they call ‘The Cipher.’ The Cipher has two components:
- The Cipher Incubator – a nonprofit incubator where growing hip-hop nonprofits and entrepreneurs obtain office space through and receive capacity building and other training.
- The Cipher Workshop – a weekend workshop (or teach-in) called Remixing the Art of Social Change: A Hip-Hop Approach where participants gain insights about funding opportunities, successful program models, and partnerships & collaborations, along with witnessing youth art/skill showcases. The 2nd Annual Remixing the Art of Social Change occurred last month (June 2009) at Howard University and has toured other universities around the country.
WBL, Inc. also sponsors The Global Journal of Hip-Hop and currently has a call for submissions for its 4th Issue. This journal features scholarly submissions, creative writing, and visual art. The first 3 issues of the journal are available for sale and preview on their website.
But there’s still more. WBL, Inc. also hosts a Chess Competition called Bumrush the Boards. Check out the video below for insight.
The Black Scholars Index is proud to highlight Mazi Mutafa and the contributions made by Words, Beats, & Life, Inc. Visit their website for more information and to donate to this exciting organization.
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If you know someone who should be featured on BSI, please contact us immediately at featured@blackscholarsindex.com.
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- [ PostDoc_Student ] Dr. Thurman Bridges
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- Dr. Rick Kittles: Biologist, Specializes in Human Genetics, AfricanAncestry.com
