Empowering Space- Hip Hop Collection

This event is meant to empower our students. Come as you are to a space cultivated to provide affirmation, enlightenment, and community.

Black Student Empowerment invites students to join us for a guided tour of the archives at Cornell University’s renowned Cornell Hip Hop Collection. During this special visit, students will explore one of the largest archives dedicated to hip hop culture in the world, which houses more than 250,000 artifacts documenting the history, creativity, and global impact of hip hop.

The tour will be led by curator Ben Ortiz, who will guide participants through select materials from the collection and share insights into how these artifacts preserve the legacy of hip hop as a powerful cultural movement.

This is a unique opportunity to engage directly with archival materials—including recordings, photographs, flyers, posters, and memorabilia—that tell the story of hip hop’s evolution and influence.

Bring a friend with you. All are welcome.

This programming is hosted by Black Student Empowerment, a Center within the Centers of Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging, Cornell Hip Hop Collection and Ujamaa Residential College.

Photos will be taken during this event to capture key moments and share the experience. These photos may be shared on Cornell social media and in marketing materials.

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Co-hosted with: Ujamaa Residential College

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