All of the Above
Hip Hop Academy
Monthly Newsletter: November 2023
The Ripple Effect
Yes, yes, y’all…for years we hosted all-ages beat and breaking battles, DJ’d community events and painted the walls of our city during Below the Stacks. But before The Sneaker Gala, we never had all the hip-hop elements present in one AOTA event. It was a truly historical/memorable/exceptional night.
The AOTA Sneaker Gala was significant because of that, reflecting hip hop's fullness, which also included, welcomed, and celebrated you, our community.
Attendees came from Michigan zip codes in the north, south, east, and west. Plus, donations came in from the East and West coasts! The support was vast and we felt every bit of that encouragement in the room whether you were there in person or in spirit.
However, let's explore this moment a bit further, shall we?
Yes, what an amazing night we had together but we can't help but think beyond and toward the ripple effects that night created:
CONFIDENCE ~ BRAVERY ~ AGENCY
Picture the time, energy, vulnerability, and bravery in the creation of a song or dance routine. Picture the pen and paper, the movement to find what works and what doesn't. Then, recording it, practicing it, and on to performing in front of both people both known and unknown.
The Ripple Effect?
Consider the impact it may have on you; or the impact on the students, and the confidence booster that leads to being brave for their next big adventure or challenge. Then, how they will continue to impact others around them after such an accomplishment...
MENTORSHIP ~ FOUNDATION ~ LEADERSHIP
The mentorship of a father and son, or from one seasoned performer and writer to a young man just getting his feet wet during his first-ever public performance. (A Cover of Busta Rhymes - "Woo-haa.")
See this dad who toured the world through hip hop passing the baton on to his son and backing him up for the crowd.
The Ripple Effect?
Consider the impact of being a mentee and then one day being a mentor or learning from someone older than you and being able to lead yourself. It's almost immeasurable, huh? Then, for the youth to inspire the older in their next seasons and also help inform them on what the future holds for hip hop? Priceless!
It's circular in nature - the inspired becomes the inspirer...
DIVERSITY ~ EQUITY ~ INCLUSION
There was so much diversity of representation in the room that night. It was reflected in elements where diversity truly makes a positive impact:
Cultural, Age, Ethnicity/Racial, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Economic, Neuro Diversity, and the list goes on...
The Ripple Effect?
Consider how our students saw themselves represented in all aspects of the sneaker gala from the board members to our staff, from the volunteers to the attendees and speakers. It was beautiful and likely a motivation we all take with us as fuel for forward movement.
CAN YOU SEE THE WAVES?
In the midst of all this goodness, because of the generous donations, art pieces by Mind of Mila and Spiz, and custom shoe auction by Tahmeed Khan, sponsors, seat holders, and supporters WE MET OUR SNEAKER GALA GOAL: $25,000!
Can you see the waves? The ripples of movement that we get to create together through the work of this AOTA Community?
You may be asking yourself, who or what is the AOTA community?
It's you! It's me! It's us! It's All of the Above.
We're honored and grateful to be on these waves with you. We go into this next season of AOTA Youth Programming with the wind in our sails and are grateful to #build517 together!
STILL HAVING A HARD TIME VISUALIZING OUR PROGRAM STRUCTURE?
Here's a visual of our our program flow:
If you have any questions about how this works, please hit reply we'd love to hear from you! Otherwise, hit the button below to learn more.
Sam aka DJ5am recently presented about Ernest Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory and how it applies to making meaningful business/personal relationships.
He facilitated an amazing night of dialogue and conversation over such a dynamic and vulnerable conversation/concept providing a space to share, ponder, and relate.
On top of his creative intellect, Sam is a joy to work with and a student teacher in our Intro to DJing class with educator, Yz Council.
Thank you, Sam! We're excited about what this next season holds for you!
Contractor Highlight
Shout-out to Kendall for being the photographer for the Sneaker Gala and our Cap City Jam. We are so grateful for your energy, eye, and expertise in capturing these special moments.
Thank you, Kendall!
#Build517
Thank you so much to our supporters, sponsors, and community partners!
We will never stop saying THANK YOU for your support because our gratitude is ever-present!
Let's continue to #build517 together with three ways to give:
Volunteer: Fill out the volunteer form and get involved with events in the community.
Spread the Word: Hit forward on this email and send to a friend who'd like to know about what we're doing.
Donate: Give a one-time gift or become a monthly donor. From $5 to $100, every monthly donor makes a great impact!
Old school appreciation, new school application.
#EachOneTeachOne
#Build517
