In this throwback season one episode, renowned educator and author Dr. Christopher Emdin joined the Building the Black Educator Pipeline show to discuss how we allow youth to show up as their full, authentic selves. 

Dr. Emdin holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology; Master's degrees in both Natural Sciences and Education; and Bachelor's degrees in Physical Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry. He is the creator of the #HipHopEd social media movement, Science Genius BATTLES and the CREATE Accelerator. He was recently named one of the 27 people bridging divides in the United States by Time magazine and the Root 100 list of most influential African Americans.

He is the author of numerous award-winning works including the award-winning, Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation and the New York Times bestseller, For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too. His latest book. Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Excellence and STEM STEAM Make Dreamare currently available wherever books are sold.

In the episode, host Shayna Terrell and Dr. Emdin discuss the importance of identity, the "ratchetdemics" framework, hip hop, and how we connect with youth in the classroom.