Hip Hop Hacktivist promotes diversity, inclusion and opportunity in the tech industry by hosting free social coding events for Black and Latinx youth. Our events expose young people of color to exciting careers in tech, and inspire them with performances and talks from their favorite athletes and hip-hop artists.
ABOUT OUR EVENTS
Four to five students work in teams supported by two professional software engineers and one professional designer. Students work together to brainstorm an idea for a web or mobile app based on the event's theme. Students will utilize teamwork, effective communication, time-management, and all the necessary skills involved in building a successful product. Designers will assist students in sketching ideas out and wire framing. After the ideation stage, developers will bring the students’ ideas to life. Participants will also work together to create a four minute presentation that describes and demonstrates their idea. Prizes will be awarded to the top three groups based on the originality of the idea, quality of the presentation and the suitability of their idea to the event's theme.
The event will also include a music showcase and a panel that involves a conversation between a music professional and a tech professional discussing the great opportunities that careers in tech provide.
Check out the video below for highlights from our most recent event!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a social coding event?
A social coding event is an event where programmers and designers collaborate over a short period of time to create a new mobile / web application based on a theme.
Who can attend?
Hip Hop Hacktivist is open to students in their freshman, junior, sophomore or senior year in high school who have limited or no programming experience.
How much does this cost?
This event is absolutely free! We’ll provide meals and swag.
I don’t have a laptop. Can I attend?
Yes! You’ll be placed in groups with professional designers and developers who will provide the equipment needed to execute your ideas.
What if I don’t know how to code?
You can still participate. Bring your creativity and imagination! Your design and development mentors will guide you through the whole process.
What’s the application deadline?
Subscribe to our newsletter for details on our next event!
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS
BRYAN BETHEA
FOUNDER
AKASHA ARCHER
CO-FOUNDER
Hip Hop Hacktivist was founded by two Black software engineers who didn’t initially see places for themselves in the industry. Bryan Bethea and Akasha Archer both took nontraditional routes to jobs in the tech sector, where they eventually found rewarding careers. Their experiences made them ask the question: Why aren’t more Black and Latinx students pursuing careers in tech? Bethea and Archer started Hip Hop Hacktivist as a response to the lack of representation they saw in the field, and as a way of encouraging Black and brown youth take an interest in tech.
Now their work is having an impact. With each Social Coding Event, valuable connections are made between technology, the arts, and the next generation of innovators. By partnering with Hip Hop Hacktivist, you are investing not only in a diverse and dynamic future for the field of tech, but in building meaningful relationships with your users and their communities.