EP107: Hip Hop Therapy in the South Bronx

JC Hall, MSW, LCSW, is a hip hop therapist and school social worker in the South Bronx, New York. He works at a high school there, where he is the Hip Hop Therapy Studio Program Director.

JC says that hip hop saved his life. He talks about his mentor, the late Dr. Edgar H. Tyson, and how he turned his love of hip hop and working with youth into a career that he loves.

The U.S. Census Bureau found that 38 percent of the South Bronx residents live below the poverty line.

The students JC works with in the South Bronx use this genre of music as a form of self-expression. Hip hop helps them to share their stories and provides a sense of belonging and empowerment, helping them navigate through their daily challenges.

Posted Sept. 19, 2023

Read a transcript of episode 107

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About Hip Hop & Hip Hop Therapy

hiphoptherapy.com
Hip Hop Therapy is a contemporary approach to mental health treatment that utilizes Hip Hop culture as a therapeutic medium.

Hip Hop Therapy: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Trauma Treatment (webinar)

Universal Hip Hop Museum - Bronx, NY

Hip-hop is turning 50. Here’s why this moment matters - Washington Post

Short Films

Mott Haven
A short film about students at a South Bronx high school the coping with a student’s murder.

Byways
This short film follows two youth as they use the music they love to work through personal traumas as well as imagine lives beyond their circumstances in the culture’s birthplace.