MusiCounts is proud to celebrate Black History Month in the classroom with #BlackMusicMatters: Hip-Hop & Social Justice in Canada, a listening- and inquiry-based resource designed for teachers with students in grades 7-12. Throughout the month of February, MusiCounts will release four lessons that explore hip-hop songs by Canadian artists. Each lesson will be free to download, and includes a wealth of resources to help teachers explore and celebrate Canadian Black culture in the classroom.

#BlackMusicMatters was developed and written by Darren Hamilton, a music educator, researcher, and choral conductor; and Jon Corbin, an English and social sciences educator and hip-hop artist. The resource includes cross-curricular lesson plans for educators teaching music, English, geography, history, visual arts, and social sciences, to help them bring Black culture, history, and creativity into the classroom through the lens of hip-hop music. It aims to introduce students to Canadian hip-hop artists and music while engaging them in a critical inquiry of a variety of social justice themes.

In the first lesson, available for download now, students can explore the history and legacy of gentrification experienced by the residents of Africville, Nova Scotia through the song “Africville” by Black Union featuring Maestro and Kaleb Simmonds.

Bookmark the #BlackMusicMatters page to access the free downloads released throughout Black History Month.