Felix Braffith was hired March 2019 as the director of student equity and outreach. Now, entering his first full semester on the WSU Vancouver campus, he is preparing an outreach program focused around cultural arts, equity, inclusion and hip hop; aptly named the Cultural Arts and Equity Hip-Hop Series.
“I see the Cultural Arts and Equity Hip Hop Series as a way to bridge that gap between communities because I know that music brings people together and it speaks to folks across racial lines, across economic lines, across gender, across sexual orientation and religious belief,” Braffith said. “And that’s why I think it’s a good opportunity to do something outside of the box for the sake of equity and inclusion and diversity.”
The series of events will take place over eight scheduled dates throughout the school year, with many different kinds of artists, teachers, poets, rappers and activists all scheduled to appear.
Braffith explained that each of the guests are “very talented people from very different backgrounds coming to share their stories and connect with the students here at WSU Vancouver and hopefully also providing insight and education to help us become a more culturally responsive and understanding community.”
The first event of the series will be held on Sept. 4 and will feature Nikkita Oliver, a politician, lawyer, activist and author who recently published, “Pebbles In My Shoes.”
The next guest will be bi-lingual hip-hop artist Olmeca. “His music is very powerful and will really resonate with people here on campus,” Braffith said.
Because the series offers a varied lineup of keynote guests, Braffith hopes to attract a diverse audience with diverse interests.
When Braffith began brainstorming this experience, he envisioned it being similar to “MTV Unplugged,” a television show which was first aired in 1989. According to MTV’s website, “MTV Unplugged” is an acclaimed acoustic music series which showcases the work of today’s top artists and introduces new stars.
“Everything will be set up in like an “MTV Unplugged” type of format,” Braffith said. “It’s not just, we’re playing music, it’s like, how can we contextualize the meaning of this music to things historically, to contemporary events, to allow students to make those connections to draw upon the learning that can come from the message and the themes throughout the music.”
Braffith said he hopes this series will get students to think about the meaning behind songs without being prompted to do so. He also hopes there will be a level of collaboration and inclusion amongst the guest artists and the WSU Vancouver community.
According to Braffith, when the artist is on campus, there will be a lunch-time workshop for students and the artist to create things. In the evening, their creations will be showcased and presented in a campus-wide event.
Braffith explained that he hopes this series lays the foundation for a strong sense of community. “It’s just, how do we do things that bring the community together [while] also still making strides towards having it be a more inclusive campus for the populations who historically have been marginalized or voiceless here on campus?” he asked.
For any further questions on the Cultural Arts and Equity Hip-Hop Series or the guest performers, you can contact the Equity and Diversity Center at 360-546-9420.
Brody Voge is a junior at WSU Vancouver studying strategic communications.
Sounds like a really great idea! The article was really informative and should make people really be interested in checking out the series!
Thanks Michele!
I will update the story with the same infographic that we included in our print edition, but said infographic contains the dates and names of the performances that are going to be held.
If you need more information, you can contact the Equity and Diversity Center at (360) 546-9420