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School of Divinity
Bringing Hip Hop
to Cramton, University
to Bridge Religious,
Generation Gap
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The
Misfits
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WASHINGTON
–
Howard
University
School of
Divinity
is again
bringing
high profile
speakers,
academics
and performing
artists
from across
the nation
to spread
the word
during its
95th Annual
Convocation
next week,
but this
year something’s
different.
The
message
is being
delivered
through
hip hop.
Names
of some
of the guests
are familiar
–
like syndicated
radio talk
show host
Michael
Eric Dyson,
the man
EBONY named
one of the
nation’s
most influential
African
Americans,
and the
Rev.
E. Dewey
Smith,
the singing
pastor from
Decatur,
Ga., whose
YouTube
videos routinely
get five-
and six-figure
hits.
But
some are
new to Howard.
They are
Christian
hip hop
artists
Mali
Music,
Sean
Simmonds,
Da
‘T.R.U.T.H.,
Rhema Soul
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and
The
Ambassador
from
the
MisFits
2011
tour.
They
will
be
performing
Christian
hip
hop
and
rap
at
a
free
concert
when
the
tour
hits
Cramton
Auditorium
at
7
p.m.,
Wednesday,
Nov.
2.
The
convocation’s
theme
this
year
is
“Religion
and
Culture:
Connecting
the
Church
and
Hip
Hop,”
and
the
music
and
culture
of
hip
hop
promise
to
be
a
part
of
everything
during
the
two-day
event.
The
Rev.
Delores
Carpenter,
a
professor
of
religious
education
in
the
School
of
Divinity
for
30
years,
said
she
chose
the
theme
to
help
bridge
the
gap
between
young
people
and
the
church.
“It's
one
of
the
great
challenges
in
the
traditional
church,
how
to
attract
and
retain
young
people,”
said
Carpenter,
the
first
woman
and
first
African-American
senior
pastor
of
Michigan
Park
Christian
Church,
where
she
served
for
more
than
two
decades.
Hip
hop,
she
said,
might
be
part
of
the
answer.
“There
is
evidence
that
young
people
are
gravitating
toward
churches
that
are
incorporating
hip
hop
into
their
services.”
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Bishop
Dwayne
Debnam |
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The
Rev.
E.
Dewey
Smith |
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The
first
day
of
the
convocation
begins
at
12:30
p.m.
on
Wednesday
at
Reid
Temple
A.M.E.
Church
in
Glenn
Dale,
Md.,
with
Bishop
Dwayne
Debnam,
senior
pastor
of
Morning
Star
Baptist
Church
in
Catonsville,
Md.,
and
young
poet
and
author
Sheri
Booker.
The
day
includes
an
awards
luncheon,
a
book
fair
and
dinner
and
concludes
with
the
Christian
hip
hop
concert
in
Cramton.
Despite
early
rejection,
Christian
hip-hop
has
managed
to
become
a
force
in
religious
music.
Christian
music
awards
shows
such
as
the
Gospel
Music
Association
Dove
Awards
and
the
Stellar
Awards
have
added
rap
and
hip
hop
categories.
The
current
MisFit
2011
tour
features
some
of
the
hottest
names
in
Christian
rap
and
hip
hop.
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Sheri
Booker |
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| Dyson,
an
author
and
sociology
professor
at
Georgetown
University,
will
be
discussing
the
importance
of
the
church’s
need
to
reach
out
to
the
hip
hop
generation
during
a
panel
at
2:30
p.m.
Thursday,
Nov.
3,
in
Andrew
Rankin
Memorial
Chapel.
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The Rev. Delores
Carpenter |
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Dyson
raised
eyebrows
this
fall
when
he
began
a
class
called
“Sociology
of
Hip-Hop:
Jay-Z.”
The
course
examines
the
music
and
career
of
rapper,
multi-millionaire
and
music
impresario
Jay-Z
and
their
social
and
cultural
significance.
Smith,
who
often
sings
during
worship
services
at
his
Great
Travelers
Rest
Baptist
Church
to
the
delight
of
attendees,
will
close
the
convocation
with
a
service
at
4
p.m.,
also
at
Andrew
Ranking
Memorial
Chapel.
Carpenter
said
she
hopes
the
panels
and
music
will
give
participants
a
chance
to
examine
“hip
hop
as
a
tool
to
reach
out
to
youth,
to
see
it
as
an
ally
rather
than
an
enemy
of
the
church.”
Click
here
for
complete
schedules. |
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Michael
Eric
Dyson
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