Tear the Walls Down: A Case for Abolitionist Pedagogy in Arts Education Teacher Training Programs

Abstract

This article takes an investigative look at the role hip hop pedagogy could play in the liberation of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) students through arts education curriculum while simultaneously interrogating the role of white co-conspirators in a school context. This article explores the connections between hip hop pedagogy and culturally responsive arts education in a 21st century arts education framework through exploring the usage of the hip hop cipher in classroom settings. Furthermore, this article explores the concept of abolitionist pedagogy and the role white educators should play in the culpability of the liberation movement of BIPOC students. Ideas of anti-racism, white fragility, and the violence perpetrated by schools on BlPOC students are highlighted in an attempt to mitigate further damage of BIPOC youth.