BRL Academy | Beats Rhymes and Life, Inc.

Each One, Teach One

“Each One, Teach One” is a fundamental principle of Hip Hop culture. It is the idea that each one of us has the ability, and responsibility to teach others our knowledge. The saying emerged in early days of Hip Hop and was made popular by Afrika Bambaataa, one of Hip Hop’s founding fathers. For youth involved with BRL, the notion of Each One, Teach One could not be more invaluable. Young people in BRL learn to use Hip Hop as a catalyst for change and development, and in turn become agents for change in their communities. This community capacity building model is key, since no one single CBO, agency or system has all the resources or knowledge to meet the needs of various communities. Instead of trying to be the “end all, be all” for youth in need, BRL strives to build young people’s capacity to serve themselves through the development of “helping communities”. The BRL Academy is a youth leadership program aimed at supporting young adults, particularly young men of color, to develop the tools and skills to become helping professionals. The goals of the BRL Academy are to:

Create a pipeline program for TAY of color into the helping professions to combat the disparity of providers of color within mental health agencies and systems of care;
Engage TAY of color in the work of supporting their peers in wellness and recovery within the BRL continuum of care; and
Provide ongoing support to TAY of color in the areas of wellness & recovery, life skills and youth leadership

Project Status

The BRL Academy is now in it’s second year of development and has grown to include five interns, which are all alumni of various BRL Rap Therapy programs. Youth interns undergo ongoing training to support their role as co-facilitators of our Rap Therapy programs. Youth interns also provide other program support around technical assistance and curriculum development. BRL Chief of Staff, Rob Jackson and BRL Deputy Director, John Gill head the BRL Academy. For more information on how you can support the BRL Academy contact john@brl-inc.org