'We had to do something unique': Nonprofit combines hip hop, mental health awareness to inspire minority students

Empower All is a nonprofit that provides educational support for students, teachers and families.

Friday's student and family "summit" at Centennial Campus Middle School combined hip hop and mental health awareness to help inspire minority students to embrace their culture and excel in school.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) are fields of study the program encourages students to pursue.

"As educators, as advocates for social, emotional learning and STEAM, we knew we had to do something unique to bring all three of these things together," said Executive Director Valencia Hicks-Harris.

Amanda West, co-director of Empower All, said hip hop is a vehicle to help bridge STEAM with mental health.

"It's important that we look to hip hop culture as an avenue for freedom," said Donovan Livingston, Ph.D., a college educator and spoken word poet.

Livingston rapped, "Why is it like this? The world is in crisis. I write to right this. Yeah, it's my right to write this."

Livingston said hip hop connects young students to the music’s roots in 1973. It was a time of many problems with rapid unemployment, guns and drugs. Livingston said the roots of hip hop apply to modern problems of over-policing, over-surveillance of Black and brown youth.

The bigger message is that education is a way out. Former educator Dudley Flood, 90, remembers the days of segregated schools. He said he initially set out to change the world.

"And what I found out later on is that you don't change the world by yourself," Flood said.

Flood borrowed a few lyrics from the Beatles' John Lennon to make his point: "I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now I'm older and not so self assured."

Now, Flood promotes a spirit of unity in communities. He said in times of difficulty, people need someone to help them get their feet back on the ground.

"That's what every person wants from you, whether they say it or not," Flood said. "So won't you please, please help humanity?"