Hip-hop is part of a Black musical tradition of resistance and reimagination that makes the music essential to understand and teach African American experiences in past and present. This workshop will consider the history of hip-hop – including its roots in both music and movements – as well as how it can be used in contemporary classrooms, at all levels, to teach crucial material and offer new ways of listening, learning, and living. Historical and cultural connections such as use of call-and-response, centralized rhythm and beats, musical sampling, and oral tradition help us understand the evolution of Black music as a tool of expression and resilience. We will explore how music is threaded thematically through the museum’s collections and exhibits and how teachers can access those resources and harness the power of music to encourage civic engagement and agency.