Power Moves: Youth Knowledge

Power Moves is a phrase with many meanings. MCs use it to signify actions being taken to better one’s position; athletes use it to refer to a particular move that’s often executed to demonstrate expertise and challenge the resolve of the opponent; for breakers, it’s the name of a dance step that is difficult to execute and hold.At the Hiphop Archive, Power Moves involves programs that explicitly build youth skills (skilz), knowledge and involvement in their community and society in general. Power Moves is a challenge to those who want to work with youth, but don’t. It is also a challenge to youth who want to do something, but feel they can’t. We are dedicated to promoting meaningful action and dialogue among and between youth and community organizers, artists, educators, executives in the music industry, performers, students, journalists, and academics, among others. While we want to evoke all definitions of Power Moves, we are also interested in how both individual and group actions relate to certain power structures. Essentially, we are saying that power does not stand still; in fact, power moves on a regular basis. And in a society such as ours, it is often art that challenges systems of power, and influences public opinion and motivates change.We challenge and encourage youth and anyone interested in Hiphop to support Power Moves through the following programs: