News Release
‘Hip–Hop Intellectual’ speaks on campus February 24
February 3, 2009
Marc Lamont Hill
One of the youngest members of the growing body of “Hip-Hop Intellectuals” in the nation, Marc Lamont Hill, brings his message to Penn State Harrisburg Tuesday, Feb. 24.
A frequent contributor to Fox News Channel, Hill will make his free public presentation at 7 p.m. in the Morrison Gallery of the college library. For information, phone 717-948-6273.
Meant to describe scholars involved in an activist movement of the post-baby boomer generation, “Hip-Hop Intellectuals” address a number of social justice issues including minority and immigration rights, educational access, prison reform, and transportation policy. The movement also focuses on a broad range of social change practices such as youth organizing and development, cultural work, and intercultural exchanges. Among those who have joined Hill in the movement is Michael Eric Dyson of Georgetown University, who has also lectured several times at Penn State Harrisburg.
With its comprehensive programming of public lectures, workshops, and cultural events, Penn State Harrisburg seeks to enlighten and educate the campus and external communities through forums focusing on embracing and understanding our differences.
An assistant professor of Urban Education and American Studies at Temple University, Hill’s research focuses on the intersections between youth culture, identity, and education processes. Trained as an anthropologist of education, Hill’s academic work focuses on the intersections between youth culture, identity, and educational processes. He is the author of Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity. Named one of America’s top 30 black leaders under 30 years of age by Ebony in 2005, he holds a Ph.D. with distinction from the University of Pennsylvania.
Since his days as a youth in Philadelphia, Hill has been a social justice activist and organizer. He is a founding board member of a nonprofit devoted to educating youth about their legal rights and responsibilities, works closely with the ACLU Drub Reform Project, and in 2001 started a literacy project that uses hip-hop culture to increase school engagement and reading skills among high school students.
His work, which covers topics such as hip-hop culture, politics, sexuality, education, and religion, has appeared in numerous journals, magazines, books, and anthologies. He has lectured widely and provides regular commentary for media outlets like NPR, Washington Post, Essence Magazine, and The New York Times. He is currently a political contributor for Fox News Channel, where he appears regularly on programs such as The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes. Prior to joining Fox News, Dr. Hill was a regular guest on CNN, MSNBC, and CourtTV.