The Mentors, Inc. sponsored event Bridging the Gap:  Old Skool vs New Skool brought out a crowd of about 50 current Mentors, Inc. participants and their families Monday, February 20th, 2006 at JIN to have an open dialogue on hip hop culture, past, present and future.

Special guests from the Urban Leadership Institute, David Miller and Lamarr Shields led discussions on the generational divide in music and hip hop culture, touching upon issues like misogyny in hip hop music and the importance for mentors to understand hip hop music as part of youth culture.  Engaging the group in various activities, Miller and Shields were able to begin a dialogue addressing slang terms, critical listening as well as appropriate language and content.

During the discussion, students like Monique Graham expressed that adults often criticize the music they listen to without examining the impact music has on their lives, including how they act, dress and talk.  Wayne Craft, Jhervian Green and Eno Ajueyitsi, all students in the Mentors, Inc. program, also contributed a great deal to the dialogue and were awarded hip hop-themed prizes for their efforts. The adults also had an opportunity to discuss what times were like when they were growing up.

Later, everyone showed off their dance moves, from the “running man” and “roger rabbit” by mentors like Deborah Gist (also a board member!) and Jackie Cooks to the "crip-walk," and the "Harlem shake" by Eno Ajueyitsi and Jhervian Green. 

The evening ended with a verbal hip hop quiz in which everyone had the opportunity to win prizes including books ("The Life and History of Tupac Shakur" and "The Life and History of The Notorious B.I.G."); CDs; various hip hop magazines including The Source, XXL, Vibe, Right On and Black Beat; and Brown Sugar, a DVD about love and hip hop.

Make sure to watch for upcoming Mentors, Inc. events!