The New School welcomes The Black Benjie Legacy Project for a multifaceted interactive event in the Lang courtyard, intending to shine light on an underrecognized narrative in Hip Hop history, here in the Culture’s 50th Anniversary year. Cornell “Black Benjie” Benjamin was the Ambassador for Peace for the Ghetto Brothers, a South Bronx gang, social organization, and band. Black Benjie was slain while trying to stop a gang conflict in 1971. Police, city officials, and gang members expected his murder to incite major violent retaliation throughout the Bronx BUT instead his death directly led to the historic "Hoe Avenue Peace Treaty." This peace meeting and truce amongst all the leaders of the Bronx gangs helped transform the volatile landscape of the Bronx and set the stage for the development of Hip-Hop.

The Black Benjie Legacy Project is a crew of middle schoolers from Bronx Community Charter School dedicated to keeping Black Benjie's legacy alive. They are touring NYC with their workshop, "Black Benjie Vive," that presents Black Benjie’s story, explores paths to peacemaking, and models cypher pedagogy.

Join us to discuss the pre-history of Hip Hop and lineage of restorative justice in a conversation guided by this powerful collective of youth. The event will open with DJ sets from TNS DJs, then the Black Benjie Vive workshop, followed by an open mic/jam session with the New School Hip Hop Collective.