On March 30, 2023, Maurice Johnson (IMC ‘11) spoke at LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library. His talk, “Hip Hop: A Reflection of Society”, explored the origins of Hip Hop culture and how Hip Hop music can be used as an educational tool.

“Hip Hop music speaks to me because it articulates the socioeconomic struggle and experiences of African Americans,” Johnson said. “Because the culture and the music is reflective of our experience, it’s only natural to be used as a tool to positively impact student learning outcomes. The use of popular culture in the classroom should be the norm, not an anomaly.”

Johnson was invited by fellow CCI alumna Savannah Cole to speak as part of the Library Lecture Series, which occurs four times a year.

“I’m hopeful that the audience absorbed that the music is the profitable, commodifiable portion of an entire culture that was an artistic response to socioeconomic oppression,” Johnson said. “Its negative portrayals within the media often correlate with decisions that are made to exploit the criminal image of the Black male, which has been historically profitable. I’m hopeful that they acknowledge the racist and classist views and actions that existed prior to the genesis of Hip Hop culture still exist today.”

Johnson is continuing his research into using Hip Hop as an educational tool as he pursues his doctoral degree at Florida A&M University. He is also working to develop a Hip Hop Ed Tech platform titled Knowledge Reigns Supreme (KRS), which is named in honor of Hip Hop artist KRS-ONE.