‘Fire In Little Africa’ Hip-Hop Project To Release Educational Curriculum

Produced in partnership with Woody Guthrie Center, Bob Dylan Center, and Tri-City Collective, the Fire in Little Africa curriculum takes the content of the album released this summer on Motown Records and uses artists to teach about the Tulsa Race Massacre in schools. The curriculum is available as a download on the official Fire in Little Africa website, in addition to tricitycollective.com!!!

Earlier this summer, Tulsa’s hip-hop collective Fire in Little Africa released their debut album on Motown Records, commemorating the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Now they are turning the album’s content into an educational curriculum that can be taught in schools, corporate offices and other educational settings.

Produced in partnership with Tulsa’s Woody Guthrie Center, Bob Dylan Center, and Tri-City Collective, the curriculum aims to use the groundbreaking hip-hop album released this summer on Motown Records to teach students history and language arts.

The curriculum component of the project was developed by Tri-City Collective, a Tulsa-based non-profit organization with an educational and social justice emphasis. Artists that contributed to the album will visit schools and teach the material to students first-hand.

“This curriculum reinforces not only the history of the Greenwood District as reflected in every track, it also offers thoughtful and pedagogically rooted connections to life in Tulsa, and the nation, today,” said Prof. Quraysh Ali Lansana, Curriculum Coordinator and President of Tri-City Collective. “Additionally, the teacher’s guide provides an opportunity to explore the diverse creativity of many of the gifted emcees, singers and producers on the album through a language arts lens grounded in state and national teaching standards. KRS-One called it edutainment.”

The curriculum will pilot at four Oklahoma high schools — Millwood, Putnam City West, Will Rogers, and McLain, with plans to expand across the nation and into higher education and corporate settings.

“Fire in Little Africa is bigger than an album. We truly want to listen, learn and grow with our communities through our intentional and critical art, and I couldn’t be happier with the work that the Tri-City Collective has done to bring this curriculum to life,” said Fire in Little Africa executive director Stevie “Dr. View” Johnson, PhD. “The art of connecting music, art and education has been lost, and Fire in Little Africa is filling a deep wound. The state of Oklahoma and the country needs this curriculum now more than ever.”

The curriculum is available as a download on the official Fire in Little Africa website, in addition to tricitycollective.com!!! Schools and other organizations interested in adopting the curriculum can contact [email protected]. Additionally, those interested in bringing Fire in Little Africa artists to teach the curriculum in high school, university, or business settings can contact [email protected]!!!

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About Fire in Little Africa
Fire in Little Africa brings together the top rappers, singers, musicians and visual artists in Oklahoma to commemorate the centennial of the 1921 Massacre and introduce Tulsa’s hip-hop culture to the world with an album, documentary, podcast and educational curriculum. The Fire in Little Africa album was released in May of 2021 on the iconic Motown/Black Forum record label.

About Tri-City Collective
Tri-City Collective, Inc. was founded in 2016 by seasoned educators with a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and providing learning and artistic opportunities outside the classroom for youth and adults. The Collective’s work is driven by a passion for social justice and creative expression, with the understanding that every human has thoughts worth listening to and should have access to platforms to be heard. The Collective engages in the “idea business”. Education, understanding, and respect are at the core of Tri-City projects. And the Collective’s diverse membership reflects the world we want to create.

About The Woody Guthrie Center℠
The Woody Guthrie Center, opened in 2013, features state of the art exhibits, an extensive outreach and education program, and a concert series to bring his legacy to Tulsans and those who make the pilgrimage to what is a destination for Woody Guthrie fans worldwide.

The Center is more than a museum; instead, it is a center of investigation for inspiration. By providing examples of Guthrie’s ability to use his creativity as a way of expressing the world around him, we hope to encourage others to find their voices and, through their educational programs, explore the power that lies within the creative process. For more information, please visit www.woodyguthriecenter.org!!!

About The Bob Dylan Center®
To be anchored by a permanent exhibit on the life and work of Bob Dylan, The Bob Dylan Center is committed to exploring the myriad forms of creativity that enrich the world around us. When it opens in the Tulsa Arts District in 2021, the center will serve to educate, motivate and inspire visitors to engage their own capacity as creators. Through exhibits, public programs, performances, lectures, and publications, the center aims to foster a conversation about the role of creativity in our lives. www.bobdylancenter.com!!!