One week before Kendrick Lamar became the first hip-hop artist to receive Columbia University’s Pulitzer Prize, the School of Professional Studies presented the panel “Hip-Hop Education: Propelling and Preserving the Movement.” Columbia University Community Scholars Martha Diaz (founder of the Hip-Hop Education Center), Regan Sommer McCoy (founder of The Mixtape Museum and Hip-Hop Hacks), and author and journalist Peter Noel explored the history and value of Hip-Hop as it approaches its 45th anniversary.
Martha Diaz is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, media producer, archivist, curator, and educator. Diaz founded the Hip-Hop Odyssey International Film Festival, the first and largest event of its kind, spawning an international movement. In 2010, Diaz formed the Hip-Hop Education Center to cultivate and formalize the field of hip-hop-based education. Regan Sommer McCoy has over 15 years of experience in the music industry dedicated to gathering music artists, DJs, techies, and scholars to explore the intersections of hip-hop and tech; celebrate and preserve hip-hop history; and promote hip-hop education. She is founder of The Mixtape Museum, an archive project dedicated to advancing public understanding and appreciation of the art, history, and technique of the mixtape. She is Associate Director of The Hip-Hop Education Center and a 2018 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Travel Grantee recipient. Peter Noel is a journalist with 30 years experience in investigative reporting for The Village Voice, The Amsterdam News and others.
The Columbia Community Scholars Program, administered by the Office of Government and Community Affairs and the School of Professional Studies, enables independent scholars to pursue their lifelong learning aspirations through access to Columbia University courses and resources.
