The Knowledge Cypher: Hip-Hop, Pedagogy, and Inclusive Excellence
About this Event
The Knowledge Cypher Summit: Hip-Hop, Pedagogy, and Inclusive Excellence is an interdisciplinary summit that mobilizes hip-hop as a community-engaged framework for knowledge production, bringing together students, educators, cultural practitioners, and community members to advance belonging, transform pedagogy, and reimagine institutional life.
Connect with us on Instagram: @KnowledgeCypherMSU.
On Thursday, November 19, 6:30-8:30 pm meet us at the Broad Art Museum for our launch party. The evening will come alive with conversation, a collaborative community art installation, live DJ sets, dancing, interactive networking, and opportunities to view the exhibit — transforming the Broad Art Museum into a vibrant gathering space where ideas are exchanged, collaborations begin, and community takes center stage. A keynote will be provided by University of South Carolina scholar, hip-hop artist, and producer Dr. Jabari Evans.
On Friday, November 20, 4-7 pm at the MSU FCU Headquarters Building #2, registered participants will explore how hip-hop can inspire new approaches to curriculum development, hip-hop feminism, and partnership-building while creating meaningful connections between Michigan State University and the communities it serves. Tailored to pre-service educators, K-12 teachers, faculty, and all who have an appreciation for hip-hop culture. This day is all about hip-hop pedagogy. Sessions will be led by local artists and community scholars. Registered participants will be provided with a full agenda one week before the event. Food will be provided, and SCEHEs may be earned.
Continue celebrating with us on Saturday, November 21, 3-5 pm at WKAR Public Media for The Showcase: Beats, Voices & Visions. This night will culminate in an immersive, high-energy production that merges performance, scholarship, storytelling, and community celebration. Designed as both a cultural event and a living demonstration of hip-hop pedagogy, the showcase highlights hip-hop as a site of knowledge production, creative resistance, healing, and collective expression. Doors open at 2 pm.
Presented in partnership with , the showcase draws inspiration from the live-audience experience celebrating authentic storytelling, artistic excellence, and deep community connection.
Day 1, November 19
🕑: 06:30 PM - 08:30 PM
Opening the Cypher: Community, Culture & Connection @ Broad Art Museum
Info: Join us for an unforgettable evening where art, scholarship, music, and community converge to launch The Knowledge Cypher Summit: Hip-Hop, Pedagogy, and Inclusive Excellence. This dynamic pre-summit celebration invites community members to explore the transformative power of hip-hop as a catalyst for creativity, learning, and social change. The evening will feature a special welcome from the Broad Art Museum, followed by a keynote from University of South Carolina scholar and hip-hop artist Dr. Jabari Evans.
Guests will enjoy opportunities to experience museum exhibitions, contribute to a collaborative community art installation, and connect with artists, scholars, students, and community partners.
Day 2, November 20
🕑: 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Hip-Hop as Method: Teaching, Research, and Institutional Transformation
Info: Check-in at MSUFCU Headquarters Building #2, Welcome and Flow of the Day (4:00-4:10 PM)
Collaborative Learning in Motion/ Sampling the Syllabus: Remixing Curriculum Through Hip-Hop (4:15-5:00 PM)
10-min Break
Hip-Hop Feminism, (5:05-5:50 PM)
Community Roundtable: Remixing the Institution: Scaling Hip-Hop Pedagogy and Community Partnerships at MSU (6:00-6:45 PM)
Day 3, November 21
🕑: 03:00 PM
The Showcase @ WKAR Public Media
Info: The Showcase: Beats, Voices & Visions serves as the culminating public experience of The Knowledge Cypher summit—an immersive, high-energy production that merges performance, scholarship, storytelling, and community celebration. Designed as both a cultural event and a living demonstration of hip-hop pedagogy, the showcase highlights hip-hop as a site of knowledge production, creative resistance, healing, and collective expression.
Presented in partnership with WKAR’s Streetlight Sessions, the showcase draws inspiration from the live-audience experience, celebrating authentic storytelling, artistic excellence, and deep community connection. Blending concert-quality production with the participatory traditions of the hip-hop cypher, the evening brings together artists, DJs, scholars, and cultural leaders in a dynamic exchange of creativity and knowledge.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
