Teaching Hip-Hop Feminism for Individual Liberation
Candace Hasan (she/her) is an abortion doula, writer, content creator, and community organizer born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dedicated to creating Black feminist-conscious content, Candace advocates for radical approaches to storytelling and bold leadership styles. She holds a Master’s degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Georgia State University, focusing on hip-hop feminism and anti-misogynoir. She taught “Hip-Hop Feminism for Individual Liberation” at Sadie Nash’s Summer Institute in 2025. She invites you to connect with her over social media! @conceitedcan
Hip-Hop has always been about reclaiming power through storytelling. It has given generations of people the power to tell their own stories and reclaim their own narratives. I wanted young girls and gender-expansive youth of color to see that their voices carry that same transformative force; that’s why, during the 2025 Summer Institute, I taught 13 incredible Nashers in my elective, Hip-Hop Feminism for Individual Liberation.
Coined by Joan Morgan, Hip-Hop feminism is a school of thought that uses Hip-Hop culture to explore identity, challenge oppression, and create space for self-expression and feminist consciousness. Even before Hip-Hop Feminism was coined, Hip-Hop has always facilitated important conversations about race, gender, class, and the lived realities of marginalized communities.
For too long, the dominant narrative surrounding Black women, especially Black women in Hip-Hop, has historically been demeaning or one-dimensional. But through our class, we were able to flip the script. I asked Nashers to call out words that are often used to describe girls of color. Words like “aggressive,” “bossy,” “loud,” “ratchet,” and “magical” rang out. Then I tasked them to decide whether they wanted to reclaim, reject, or redefine these words. This exercise showed Nashers how words shape identity, and made space for them to take their own power back and to define themselves on their own terms.
We studied artists like Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Coi Leray, Queen Latifah, and Doechii, and reimagined what feminism could look like together. When Megan Thee Stallion raps “I’m from the South/ain’t no discussion,” she is highlighting her unflinching pride and self-reflection as key parts of her story and identity. As we unpacked the work of these artists together, Nashers developed the tools to critically articulate feminist values in ways that felt accessible, engaging, and fun—showing that feminist ideas don’t have to be overly “scholarly” to resonate.
Ultimately, Nashers wrote, recorded, and produced their own original tracks as a way of democratizing the storytelling process. The class gave Nashers power, access, and an opportunity to shape their own narratives, reaffirming that every story has meaning. On the track “Our Story,” Imani wrote a verse honoring Rosa Parks, Shirley Chilsom, Ruby Bridges, and Harriet Tubman as powerful voices who paved the way.
“Every piece tell a story of a life felt, never passive
We got Rosa, Shirley, and Ruby and Harriet”
Nasher’s creativity honored the past while writing new stories for the future.
Initially, many Nashers blankly stared at me when I asked them to define Hip-Hop feminism. But by the end, Nashers not only could define Hip-Hop feminism, they embodied Hip-Hop feminism themselves. Watching young people name themselves, tell their stories, and take up space reminded me why Hip-Hop endures: it sounds like what liberation feels like - loud, joyful, and completely our own.
Check out this behind the scenes video of Nashers recording their own tracks for Candace’s class!
Head over to the Nasher Liberation Library to listen to the original songs that Nashers wrote, produced, and recorded!
