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Branson's Annual Beloved Community Event Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Olivia Flemming

Annual Beloved Community Event: "50 Years of Hip-Hop Celebration"

Branson's Beloved Community welcomes and embraces everyone from life's many paths by unifying and uplifting all people towards a common goal of positivity, support and love.

This year, Hip-Hop is celebrating 50 years and we invited over 20 speakers and artists to share how it has cultivated a Beloved Community. Hip-Hop arose out of the Bronx in 1973, cementing itself at block parties and housing units. From there, it has engulfed itself inside many facets of entertainment from athletics to fashion establishing its own culture.

Branson celebrated this event with an afternoon of keynote presentations and interactive workshops exploring all aspects of Hip-Hop culture including music, dance, art, politics, social justice, and much more.

See the highlight video (credit Richard Cooper - @richenvisions)

Hip-Hop Presenters

Schedule of Events:

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (The Commons)

  • Hip-Hop Performance with Antwan Banks & Eric Abercrombie

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (Gym)

  • Introduce workshop presenters & student DEI ambassadors

  • Keynote Speaker Panel featuring Hip-Hop experts journalist Davey D, photographer Traci Bartlow, and cultural critic and thought leader Bakari Kitwana

1:35 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. (Workshops)

  • Dance - Ethan Clyde inside Theater | Hosts Alex & Yoga 

  • Dance - Bianca Zogbi & Kyle Mitchell inside Dance Studio | Hosts Marisha & Tara C. 

  • Beat Production - Trackademicks inside Media Lab | Hosts Jaimeo & Roshan 

  • Fashion Design - Yema Khalif inside Commons | Hosts Neftaley & Lauren 

  • Sports - Darron Nelson inside Small Gym | Hosts Nathalio & Tom 

  • Hip-Hop 101 - Antwan Banks & Eric Abercrombie inside ODH | Hosts Arthur & Joaquin/Pierce 

  • DJing - DJ Bitesize  Maxwell House | Hosts Todd & Camila 

  • Graffiti (TWO HOURS) - Outside The Commons | Daniel Pan, Colt Platt, Santos Pastrana, & Chad Abbley* 

  • MCing (TWO HOURS) - Laxman Drivas & Alex Estrada inside Big Gym | Hosts Eric O. & Tara S. 

2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m. (Workshops)

  • Dance - Ethan Clyde inside Dance Studio | Hosts Alex & Yoga 

  • Dance - Bianca Zogbi & Kyle Mitchell inside Theater | Hosts Marisha & Tara C. 

  • Beat Production - Trackademicks inside Media Lab | Hosts Jaimeo & Roshan 

  • Fashion Design - Yema Khalif inside Commons | Hosts Neftaley & Lauren 

  • Sports - Darron Nelson inside Small Gym | Hosts Nathalio & Tom

  • Hip-Hop 101 - Antwan Banks & Eric Abercrombie inside ODH | Hosts Arthur & Joaquin/Pierce 

  • DJing - DJ Bitesize inside Maxwell House | Hosts Todd & Camila

  • Photography - Traci Bartlow inside Sculpture Studio New House | Hosts Charlotte & Alyssa Huang student photographer

Thank you to our many guests artists and presenters for your participation!