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BREAKTHROUGH | FOCUS Summer 2020
FIELDING GRADUATE UNIVERSITY | Fielding.edu
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F rom Marginalized to “Vivified!” Hip-hop songs, documentary films part of student Lugene “Rihki’ Kennebrew Jr.’s culturally responsive pedagogy
Kate McAlpine Kipnes Fund Award Recipient
K
ate McAlpine, who earned her PhD from Fielding in 2015, was selected in March 2020 to be the third recipient of the Dianne Kipnes Fund for Social Innovation grant. Dr. Charles McClintock, Director of the Institute for Social Innovation, which administers the Award, described her project as “a highly collaborative and innovation project that works toward improving the lives of children throughout East Africa.”
McAlpine has dedicated the last 25 years to protecting children in Tanzania from violence in her role as researcher, strategist, and social entrepreneur. Her dissertation focused on how to enable better physical and emotional protection of children. She currently leads Citizens4Change, a movement of East African citizens who protect children from violence. President Katrina S. Rogers noted that, “Like many graduates of Fielding, McAlpine’s work embodies the purpose of the Kipnes Award for Social Innovation, which is to support research that advances social justice and aligns with the mission of Fielding’s Institute for Social Innovation.”
What would you say is your greatest passion? I’m a “Maximiser” and driven by seeing
to do the right thing. I then theorized how more adults could protect children better. I am now testing this in my work with Citizens4change.net. [Note: “Ujasiri” in Swahili translates into courage, fortitude, or resilience.]
How did you grow at Fielding? I started by
How will this award benefit the work you are doing currently? It will enable us to build
Where do you live and work now? I split my
time between Tanzania and the UK.
good things grow and thrive.
doing a Master’s in Organizational Management and Development back in the early 2000s and was hooked. I transformed at Fielding. The key thing was being able to hold multiple perspectives at one time. Also the relevance of the learning was so powerful – I could actually go and apply what I learnt practically in my work. How would you explain your research? In
Tanzania, many children are victims of violence. Rather than taking the problem seeking stance of looking at abuse or abusers, I explored the worldview of Tanzanians who actually take action to protect children.
What were the findings? I learnt that they have
a specific “Ujasiri mindset” that differentiates them from other people, those who say “it’s none of my business” when they see a child suffer. This mindset is founded in empathy and a moral drive
proof of concept for Citizens 4 Change by catalyzing a critical mass of protectors across East Africa. By using data analytics, we’ll show where they are and how they protect kids, and update in real time.
The Dianne Kipnes Fund for Social Innovation supports projects from alumni of Fielding’s School of Psychology and School of Leadership Studies that demonstrate innovation and collaboration for improving the lives of individuals, organizations, or communities. Projects can consist of research and/or professional practice efforts. Applications are sought annually for projects of up to a two-year duration. •
I
n 2012, Lugene “Rihki” Kennebrew Jr. saw that the traditional music industry, where he had worked for 25 years, was collapsing. Recognizing that he needed to reinvent himself, he went back to school and began work as a guest educator in Philadelphia schools.
From Kennebrew’s video “VIVIFY Critical Reflection Theory.”
Today, he is at Fielding completing a doctoral dissertation that aligns music with digital education and virtual learning. His wife Pamela also attended Fielding, graduating in 2015. How did you go from record producer to doctoral student? Initially, I pursued a law degree
specializing in artist intellectual property, earning an associate degree from Harcum College and a bachelor’s from Cheyney University. Throughout that process, I also worked in Philadelphia schools. I realized I could use my skills as a film composer, songwriter, and arranger to write songs that engage my students with their lessons. This was so transformative and rewarding that I reversed my course, and obtained a Master of Education from Lincoln University. What is the focus of your dissertation? I
wanted to expand the genres of educational
music and culturally responsive, virtual learning. The format was inspired by Dr. A.D. Carson’s 2017 groundbreaking, 34-song hip hop dissertation, “Owing My Masters.” “AKILI: Vivifying the Natural Genius within Neo-Indigenous Scholars” is a scholarly, virtual learning, culturally responsive, prosodic pedagogy for middle school to graduate students. Grounded in action research and critical race theory, the pedagogy synthesizes culturally responsive learning, music, and African-centered principles. It includes more than 50 songs in hip-hop and other genres, a two-part short documentary film, and a 200-page written section. How has Fielding impacted your work?
Fielding professors opened my eyes to the sociological and philosophical theories behind what I had been doing, so I could shape it into formal pedagogy. I was also able to produce a scholarly response to the crisis America is facing right now. It’s all going online, which is the perfect place to launch AKILI VIVIFY’s platform. Dr. Lenneal Henderson, my dissertation chair, says that I am a kind of griot – the West African storytellers, musicians, and poets who keep their oral history alive. I guess I’m a digital griot. The older scholars call me “Boss Bard.” A bard as in a composer, singer, or declaimer of epic or heroic verse. How do students respond? The songs started
out as attention-getters because students were not connecting with the content. One of my greatest
experiences was to walk into a lunchroom to see and hear 300 kids singing along with the songs. How do the films integrate into your dissertation? Part one analyzes how to write
educational songs grounded in psycho-socio theories. Part two is titled “Critical Reflection Theory” and features footage from the first days of COVID-19. Various extreme social and racial interactions are captured. “AKILI” is Swahili for mindfulness, and “VIVIFY” means “to enliven.” I am livening minds and transforming lives from marginalized to VIVIFIED!
Find out more at Akilivivify.com •
