‘Take a back seat’: White music teachers engaging Hip-Hop in the classroom

Abstract

With the purpose of exploring how engaging with Hip-Hop might contribute toward decentering Whiteness in US music education, this research aims to understand the perceptions of three White music educators in the United States teaching Hip-Hop in their classrooms comprising majority students of color. The study explores participants’ past experiences with Hip-Hop, their current teaching practices, and the influence that teaching Hip-Hop has had on their role in the classroom. I also engage in critical self-reflection in order to name and disrupt my own White fragility that emerged during the process of conducting the study and writing this article. Analysis reveals that engaging with Hip-Hop does not inherently contribute to decentering Whiteness, and considerations suggest more intentional and explicit work toward these ends.