Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success

A revolutionary new educational model, part philosophy and part pedagogy, encouraging educators to provide spaces for students to display their academic brilliance without sacrificing their identity. Bestselling author and educator Christopher Emdin advocates a new identity and sensibility for educators which bridges the seemingly disparate worlds of the ivory tower and urban classroom. Highlighting the major inequities in urban education, Emdin argues in favor of a simple solution: that being "ratchetdemic," or both ratchet and academic (like having rap battles about science) can empower students to embrace themselves, their background, and their education. Originating from hip-hop, "ratchet" refers to the way individuals describe themselves and embrace aspects of who they are - qualities that are often demonized. Modern schooling, Emdin argues, dismisses ratchet identity as anti-intellectual and punishes youth for straying from the academic norms. Emdin explains these deviations include so-called "disruptive behavior" and celebration of hip hop music and culture, which leaves young people in classrooms frustrated and uninspired. Ratchetdemic reclaims the word, and proposes an alternative model to education that centers those who do not fit into established academic paradigms.