Watts Presents on "Cultural Expression and Belonging" in Cyprus

Kareem Watts, EdD, recently presented his arts-based research on hip hop pedagogy and Black college student success at the Twenty-Fifth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations at the University of Nicosia (UNIC) in Cyprus. His presentation, “Cultural Expression as a Pathway to Belonging: Exploring Identity and Success,” highlighted how hip hop pedagogy (HHP) fosters belonging and supports academic achievement for historically underrepresented students. Watts shared findings from his study on how Black and African American professors use HHP to engage students and integrate culturally responsive teaching practices. His research blends Narrative Inquiry, Arts-Based Research, and A/r/tography to illuminate faculty experiences. A key theme from Kareem's research study—“Passion for Non-Traditional Cultural Learning”—emphasized bringing academia to hip hop culture, rather than forcing hip hop to conform to institutional norms and the elitism of higher education. Attendees were especially engaged as Dr. Watts performed “Flo-etic” data poems inspired by his professor-participants, along with selections from his dissertation album, Flo-etic Storytelling Mixtape Ch. 5 https://soundcloud.com/user-918584668/sets/flo-etic-storytelling-mixtape-ch-5?si=7c07676b80494337acb73ced62a40058&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing. This creative approach demonstrates how hip hop culture can drive positive change and enhance student success in higher education.