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International Review of Education

, Volume 62, Issue 6, pp 711–731 | Cite as

Contesting history and pursuing “other” knowledge: A study of hip-hop and non-formal education among Native American youth in San Francisco and black Portuguese youth in Lisbon

  • Miye Nadya Tom
ORIGINAL PAPER
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Abstract

This paper presents a broad-reaching effort to interrogate enduring colonial legacies as experienced by Native American youth in the United States of America and Black Portuguese youth of Cape Verdean origin in Portugal. As part of its methodological approach, it uses hip-hop – a cultural movement composed of four elements including rap music – to examine how youth from specific communities access knowledge which is denied to them in schools, give revolutionary voice to their realities, and broadcast perspectives on race, place and belonging. When knowledge is negated in learning institutions, non-formal education created by youth is a powerful force in re-affirming tradition and transformation. Hip-hop becomes a medium to create alternative educational projects addressing the needs of youth in San Francisco, USA, and Lisbon, Portugal, where this research was conducted.

Keywords

postcolonialism non-formal education hip-hop studies youth studies race/ethnicity, diversity 

Résumé

Contester l’histoire et acquérir un « autre » savoir: étude sur le hip-hop et l’éducation non formelle pour jeunes Amérindiens de San Francisco et jeunes Portugais noirs de Lisbonne – Cet article décrit un vaste effort déployé pour remettre en question l’héritage colonial persistant que subissent les jeunes Amérindiens des États-Unis et les jeunes Portugais noirs originaires du Cap-Vert. Dans le cadre de l’approche méthodologique, l’étude exploite le hip-hop – mouvement culturel composé de quatre éléments dont la musique rap – pour examiner comment les jeunes issus de communautés spécifiques accèdent aux connaissances dont ils sont privés dans les écoles, pour donner un accent révolutionnaire à leurs réalités, et pour diffuser diverses perspectives sur la race, la place et l’appartenance. Quand un savoir est occulté dans les institutions éducatives, l’éducation non formelle générée par les jeunes est un moyen puissant de réaffirmer la tradition et la transformation. Le hip-hop devient un support permettant de créer des projets éducatifs alternatifs qui répondent aux besoins de la jeunesse de San Francisco aux États-Unis et de Lisbonne au Portugal où a été réalisée cette recherche.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Los AngelesUSA

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