Upward Light Community Cyphers Presents: Lunch & Learn Webinar featuring the presenters:
Dr. Keishana Barnes
"The Art of Teaching: Unlocking Creativity through Knowledge of Self"
In this 30-minute webinar, Dr. Barnes will explore how creativity, inspired by Hip-Hop, can transform the classroom. Drawing from my experience as a teacher, she will share how creating characters—complete with unique names, personalities, vocal cadences, and costumes—helped engage students, making lessons memorable and building a stronger classroom community. This approach aligns with Hip-Hop Pedagogy’s core values: creativity, self-expression, and connection to culture. Just as Hip-Hop artists use performance to communicate ideas, she used characters to bring lessons to life, making them more real, fun, and relatable. This helped her students connect emotionally to the content, making them more invested in learning. By encouraging students to embrace creativity and storytelling, we also co-created a space where everyone’s voice was valued. This method not only enhanced student engagement, but also reignited her passion for teaching many times. She will demonstrate how such creative strategies, rooted in Hip-Hop culture, can empower both educators and students, promoting an inclusive and supportive classroom where learning can thrive.
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Dr. Brian Barnes
“Questioning with 3 Stacks (Andre3000): Theological, Philosophical, and Social Inquiry through Lyrics”
This presentation explores the lyrical work of Andre 3000—one half of the legendary hip-hop duo Outkast—as a deep reservoir of philosophical, sociological, and theological inquiry. Through select verses from songs such as “Sixteen", "Babylon", "Sorry", and "Royal Flush", we will examine how Andre 3000 raises profound questions about survival, success, and spirituality -often grounded in the lived realities of Black life in America. Participants will engage in lyrical analysis that treats hip-hop not just as a musical form, but as a legitimate intellectual tradition and educational tool. Andre’s introspective, imaginative, and sometimes vulnerable lyricism invites listeners to think critically, reflect personally, and connect socially. This session aims to demonstrate how hip-hop based education can incorporate Andre 3000’s work to stimulate deep dialogue and foster culturally responsive pedagogy in classrooms, community spaces, and beyond.
