Thank you for visiting my website!
My name is Eric Davis aka Professor E. I started doing this speaking thing
back in the early 90s while a student at
UCLA. While working as a Resident
Assistant, I created RAP 101.
The
idea came to me when I saw how many people were watching Yo! MTV
Raps
(tm) on the lobby television. I figured any floor programming I did that
involved hip-hop would be more likely to draw people so I gave it a
shot.
I put up posters that said “Me So Horny: Censorship Issues is the
topic of
this week’s RAP 101 session.” 25 people showed up... Go
figure. It worked.
Anyway, for that 1st RAP 101 session, I
grabbed a boom box and a few
songs for us to listen to. That’s it. No PowerPoint. No handouts. Just me,
the students, and the music. My facilitation skills
were not at all polished
at that point but, ya know, it really didn’t matter
because the program has
never been about me -- it's ALL about the participants and their voices.
RAP 101 is still the same today as
it was 20 years ago:
Compelling Music. Honest Discussion.
Keynote speeches, diversity trainings, student workshops, and guest
lectures are now part of my repertoire but you can be sure that my
RAP 101 pedagogy remains a part of all of my educational services:
Participant-centered. Holistic. Thought-provoking. Never Boring.
Check out these sample clips from the Professor E YouTube page:
