H. Samy Alim is a Professor at UCLA, a linguistic anthropologist and educator

whose work explores the intersections of language, race, and culture. He has written

widely on Hip Hop culture, Black language practices, and educational justice, and is

a leading voice in critical language studies.

Samuel Lamontagne is a Professor of Music at UC Riverside and a co-lead of

UCLA’s Hip Hop Initiative. He is a scholar of hip-hop and electronic music from

the African diaspora, specializing in Los Angeles's musical cultures.

Tabia Shawel is a Ph.D. Candidate at UCLA. She co-leads the university’s ground-

breaking Hip Hop Initiative, positioning UCLA as a global hub for hip-hop

scholarship through artist residencies, archives, public programming, and

postdoctoral fellowships.

Baljit Sangra is an award-winning, Vancouver-based filmmaker whose films

shine a light on underrepresented and marginalized voices and stories. Sangra’s films

have routinely premiered at festivals around the world.