#education #SebastienElkouby
The critically acclaimed “Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture” course curriculum has become the latest victim of California’s bankrupt economy.  Launched in 2006 the program created by Sebastien Elkouby which was the only educational hip-hop programs in the nation offered as a regular class to middle and high school students used hip-hop to connect with students.

“This class used hip-hop culture as a medium to develop global awareness and critical thinking while teaching them language arts, social studies, and life skills,” Elkouby explained.

For his efforts, Elkouby was awarded the “Educator of Distinction” by the National Society of High School Scholars for the past two years, a distinction that unfortunately could not save his beloved program.

“You’d think that a program that has impacted students in such a positive way would be safe,” Elkouby said. “I do realize that the simple mention of the term ‘hip-hop’ scares people and may not be at the top of the list when it comes to funding. However, it doesn’t seem that students are too high on the list either.”

Elkouby is still hopeful that the program will be saved in some capacity but with the state’s budget crisis such an outcome is impossible to forcast at this point. When I first heard about this program several years ago I was very excited about such model becoming a pilot for a larger nationwide, federally subsidized program.  However in reality, our country would rather invest more and more money in defense instead of the education of our children.  

But don’t think there’s not a correlation.  By maintaining a sector of the very young Americans, unmotivated and disinterested in their studies they’re able to breed a culture of future young adults that are unprepared to enter the traditional workforce but instead become prime candidates for the armed forces.  While I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with the Armed Forces, I do believe it our duty to at least equip our children with the tools to give them OPTIONS when the do complete their basic school requirements so they may chose from a wealth of reasonable career options suitable for them.  This program was one of the true treasures that enabled otherwise disadvantaged students to do so.  But then again we know how threatened some folks are by an educated black man right?