Superheroes...

"When you think of a hero, you think of someone better than yourself. If you are your own hero, you can live in the image of yourself." ~Alex Banks, Student

Yesterday, I went to the second day of the Teaching with Purpose Conference and during lunch there was a conversation regarding Hip Hop and music as a form of self-expression. They played the song, "Superheroes" by Mic Crenshaw and then had a student reflect on what they learned from the song. The song is amazing (look it up on YouTube), but the young man, Alex, had a response far more profound. (see above)

Many of my students have heroes, some who do not deserve the adulation that they receive at the hands of the youth. These heroes might be athletes or music artists. Many of the athletes of today are powered by money and fueled by their popularity. Their desire to be a good example to young people is often not on their minds. Being famous and having a name that brings traffic to a stop. The music that is being offered now often isn't helpful or conscious, but rather filled with hate and anger. Young people are encouraged to engage in illegal activities such as violence and drugs. Hip Hop music is a place where all sorts of things show up. Conscious hip hop encourages action and finding your voice.

This is more than a blog about music, although listening to conscious hip hop can truly give you a positive message, but more that than it is about returning to one's self. As Alex said, we must be our on hero...we must live within our own image. By having confidence in our own abilities, we can move forward through our world. We don't need other heroes...we need to dig deep within ourselves to be heroes. Finding our own strength allows us to find our way in all times and situations. Teaching others helps them to find their own way too...something we all need to do in times like this.