A reason much greater than the rhyme itself!
The Vision.
A world where historically excluded and marginalized demographics will have the autonomy to thrive in healthy, unique culturally-centered practices.
The Mission.
Creating restorative experiences through storytelling (performance, publications, collective dialogue) and fellowship (social gatherings, educational spaces, creative circles).
Education. Elevation. Collaboration.
“Beyond The Mic.” is more than an initiative.
It’s a movement rooted in Hip Hop activism to leverage empowerment and advancement using everything that’s readily available.
With creativity at the forefront, individuals are emboldened to cultivate personal skills and talents as a means to address social obstacles, create collaborative solutions, and overcome challenges together!
We vow to:
Educate: Inform one another, sharing cultural, experiential, intellectual and social capital as a means of communal wealth.
Elevate: Pour into one another, lifting each other up along the way with grace and truth.
Collaborate: Work together across the community, honoring the diverse talents and contributions being cultivated and offered to strengthen the communal infrastructure.
Workshops & Programs
With an educational background in Sociology, as well as ten years of restorative work experience with schools, community organizations, and government agencies alike, Se’Anna combines her professional expertise with her creative competence to use the art of storytelling as a means of developing Strong Critical Thinkers and Confident, Innovative Changemakers.
Voices in Verse
(An exploratory SEL-centered course for youth and young adults)
For generations, Hip Hop Storytelling has been a means of making sense of the world around us. It creates a sense of self awareness, social awareness, and connectivity between human beings. During this course, participants will focus on how Hip Hop centers identities, perspective, values and purpose. Participants will also get to test their creative writing skills for a final expressive project.
Live on da Mic! Public Speaking Workshop
(Personal & Professional Development; Adults, Youth Ages 14+)
Public speaking allots us the opportunity to tell beautiful stories, exchange valuable information and deepen relationships in the name of the craft. During this interactive workshop, participants will engage in introspective activities that produce authentic talking points before testing their newfound skills while building confidence in a practice round powered by randomly selected prompts and peer feedback.
First Come Stories…
(Community Actualization)
At the base of all great things lives a story. The narratives that we uphold are central to the systems that we build and sustain, and in this climate: It is crucial that these stories are honest, culturally responsive, and reflect the voices of the people.
This workshop introduces a developmental framework rooted in spoken and written occurrences while using historical events to guide participants through the foundational role of stories in societal systems building and transformation.
The Nehemiah Course
(Action, Planning; Community Actualization & Cultural Perpetuity)
The road to reconstruction in the present climate is one that is built on collective purpose and collaboration. This workshop dives into the book of Nehemiah, reflecting the journey of one man’s triumph in rebuilding his hometown from turmoil with the practical instructions he received from his Father.
Participants will receive actionable steps and introspective tools that invoke the vision and direction for a thriving community that fosters perpetuity.
A great starter course for community affinity groups, nonprofits, schools, churches and other agencies invested in communal restoration!
Vision Restored
(Self & Community Actualization; Adults, Youth Ages 14+)
Making a plan is the easiest part of resetting and restoring our vision, but if we don’t understand the impact of institutionalization then we’re liable to remain stagnant.
Throughout this presentation, participants will analyze the power of how we see ourselves, our roles, and our functional purpose within the social systems that we inhabit. Participants will also reflect on the basis of how personal values, direct relationships, support systems, social environments, resources and having a plan are the strongest contributing factors to our ability to operate in our greatest functional purpose.
Derived from the framework of the guided journal (“Write the Vision, Make it Plain”), this goal-oriented workshop is designed to help individuals create (and re-create) the perspective of what it means to see, solidify and thrive in their greatest functional purpose while setting a foundation for actionable steps.
