The energy that we witnessed on and off stage at the latest versuz match that took place on August 3rd was amazing to watch. The more I think about the performance and the things that made it so dope. The more I realize that the very energy we saw on display in Madison Square Garden is exactly what is needed in the classroom for our Black boys. Unfortunately, these elements are also what get Black boys in trouble in classrooms all over the US, including here in my city of Seattle, WA. Inappropriate language, yelling, pushing each other, being unapologetically confident in their work, holding each other accountable, teammates, and opponents based on principles created by the Hip-Hop community. We saw one component of Black Male culture on display, and it was beautiful. Would you mind watching the video to get an idea of what I am talking about?
As you are building students up, you want to meet them where they are. Research shows that some Black boys love competition. At no point did the event get out of hand, and it ended on a peaceful note. Why wouldn’t this be something that we want to see in the classroom? Simple, white women who make up the overwhelming majority of teachers in this country don’t like or understand this energy. It’s part of what makes some White teachers compelled to kick Black boys out of the classroom even before actually “misbehaving”. The very thought of that type of energy is enough to scare people.
Now, I am not saying all Black people are for the energy displayed in the video. Still, there are enough Black men who do appreciate the performance by The Lox and Dipset, the pre-game antics that took place on social media, and the commentary of the event afterward. For some of us, it took us back to High School and College. We got to bring back an old argument. Even back then, I picked the Lox over Dipset. We got to see once and for all who the better group was. To Black men, to Black boys, that’s important. That’s what I saw from Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch. They took the challenge seriously and put together an epic performance that raises their stock in not only hip-hop but all of popular culture.
I’m not saying we need to let students use cuss words, but clowning around as long as there is equity to get the best out of your team and opponents isn’t bad. Being free to speak how one speaks daily isn’t bad either if it helps with engagement and learning.
Are there ways that we can take elements of Black male culture and embed them in the classroom? Right now, in my own classroom at Garfield High School and with the Academy for Creating Excellence, we do activities that allow boys to be competitive. We have found that engagement increases across the board when this element of Black male culture is present in the classroom.
Instead of looking at the energy in the video as a negative. Let’s find ways to build our Black boys up using these misunderstood components of Black male culture in the classroom.
Thoughts Processed 