Words Beats and Life Inc exists to develop and support a community of young artists by providing consistent artistic instruction for DC youth. WBL exists to provide information, opportunity and resources to under served youth and artists. WBL was conceptualized in 2002 upon completion of the second annual WBL hip-hop conference at the University of Maryland. Conference planners saw the potential utilization of hip-hop culture as a vehicle to engage youth in meaningful dialogue and direct action, offering an alternative to violence and crime.
WBL is rooted in the idea that artists when organized can transform individual lives and whole communities. Hip-hop culture has an inherent transformative power which allows WBL staff to create a learning environment in which every student is also a teacher. This is done by intentionally creating experiences that encourage youth to build consensus, create a collective vision, and play a role in collective action. WBL promotes lasting social change by: 1) helping youth develop creative approaches to familiar challenges 2) encouraging strategic thinking about the future and 3) encouraging youth to foster partnership with adults to create community-based change with new skill sets. The WB&L Journal and Arts Academy both promote the idea that success requires traditional education and street smarts by placing value on academic excellence and the lived experiences of its students/contributors.
Currently WBL develops and supports a community of young artists in Ward 7. This is done with a program, the WBL Arts Academy, and a publication, the WB&L Journal. WBL is a comprehensive resource for scholarly and artistic expression with an emphasis on hip-hop culture.
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