MLK celebration

McNeese State University’s Student Life Coalition hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration on Tuesday featuring Brandon Brown, president of School Yard Rap, who goes by the stage name Griot B.

Brown said his stage name comes from the West African tradition of a “griot” being a historian and storyteller. A former teacher and school administrator, Brown said School Yard Rap was built upon his experience with seemingly uninterested and disengaged students.

“Students were bored out of their mind studying people who didn’t look like them,” he said. “I had a hard time trying to figuring out how to engage them as much as possible with the content and standards that I had to teach.”

When Brown began to match his content with relevant rap music and lyrics, he said he began to see more success in the classroom. It ultimately led him to create a curriculum and the company. “As an artist, I don’t want to just move your body,” he said. “I want to actually make you think. As you listen, it should elevate your mind. That’s how rap music was even started.”

Brown eventually moved into an administrative role, where he quickly noticed a lack of effective, well-rounded black history curriculum.

“They’re only learning one thing — maybe Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr.,” he said. “Those lessons are good, of course. But it doesn’t give the whole story of African Americans.”

Brown’s lyrics seek to open black history to include ancient African kings and queens; African contributions to art, science and math; and how Africans continued to contribute to American society even after their treacherous journey in the Middle Passage.

“(Tradition) History is very one-sided. We need to know more about history. African Americans have been in this country since the beginning of it, and we’ve helped in every single way for it to be as great as it is.”

Understanding black history is important for all members of society, Brown said.

“It’s crucial that everyone knows about this because it dilutes ignorance,” he said. “I think hatred and racism stems from ignorance a lot of times.”

Austin Pottorff, McNeese senior and president of the Student Life Coalition, said Brown’s song, “Black Made That,” helped him learn more about the inventions by African Americans.

“I think it’s pretty eye opening because there are some things I just really didn’t know,” he said. “That’s really inspiring and cool to see.”

School Yard Rap’s curriculum materials can be purchased at teacherspayteachers.com .

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Online: schoolyardrap.com