Courtney Terry, Ph.D.
Photographed at Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA in 2021 

Recently, THHM had the privilege of welcoming Courtney Terry, Ph.D., Director of Education. With us not even four months, Dr. Terry hit the ground running and has been hitting it out of the park. Prior to joining our team, Dr. Terry was an Assistant Professor in the Black Studies Department at Portland State University’s School of Gender Race and Nations. Besides instructing at CSU, she has taught courses on Hip Hop culture and rap music at Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College. I had the privilege of speaking with her earlier this month. 

The journey to her expertise in Black history, Hip Hop culture, and rap music began when Dr. Terry matriculated at Humboldt State University, where she obtained B.A. in ethnic studies. Motivated by a variety of her friends’ rap stylings, her next stop was in Atlanta, where she earned a Masters and a Doctorate in Humanities (concentrating on African-American Studies and English) at Clark Atlanta University. While there, Dr. Terry applied her exploration of the aforementioned to the framework of academic analysis and research. Her dissertation focused on how West African trickster traditions manifested in rap music from the turn of the 21^st century. 

During her co-editing of and publishing in Phylon, the university’s peer reviewed journal of race and culture which was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois (at Atlanta University in 1940), Dr. Terry’s study continued. Her article reviews include one authored by her: “It Ain’t Trickin’ if You Got It: Pre-Colonial African Trickster Deity Traditions Manifest in New Millennium Rap Music.” Phylon exists today as an online journal, created by a collaborative effort between Atlanta University Center’s Woodruff Library and Clark Atlanta University. 

Dr. Terry’s exploration of rap music in the post-Civil Rights and Trap Music eras were at play in her hosting of two virtual symposiums during Black History Month this year. On February 26^th, she facilitated “Hip Hop Contemporary Marketing, Law, and Digital Horizons,” and Clark Atlanta’s Prof. Joseph Stewart moderated discussion and dialogue about the complex intersection of freedom of speech, the law, and Hip Hop. That was followed on February 28^th by “Stewards of the Culture,” where Dr. Roger Caruth, of Howard University, led an actively discussed analysis of current trends and the future of Hip Hop. 

With experience and accomplishments that rival those of renowned scholars, Dr. Terry has set the bar high for herself at The Hip Hop Museum. Her goals include “enriching academic exploration and community engagement, fostering international research collaborations, prioritizing archival efforts to ensure the preservation of and accessibility to historical artifacts, and integrating contemporary AI technology in order to facilitate dynamic educational experiences and allow students to analyze Hip Hop’s cultural significance via digital platforms.” Her focus areas, within THHM’s broader mission, include “community involvement, empowering local voices to contribute to Hip Hop Culture’s narrative, and fostering a sense of ownership.” Dr. Terry’s presence will surely underscore the impact of FlowScholar. 

Dr. Terry’s transition from academia to the museum world shortly after receiving her Doctorate may have been fast, and it has been influential. Her experiences a professor, mentor, and the co-editor of The Journal of Hip Hop Studies have applied pedagogy to our community and ongoing efforts.

Reinforcing her dedication to the culture’s pulse and depth, Dr. Terry’s favorite Hip Hop album is Things Fall Apart (The Roots), her first album was RUN-DMC – Greatest Hits, her favorite Hip Hop groups are The Roots and OutKast, and her favorite song is Ice Cube’s “Check Yo Self.”  

Recordings of Dr. Terry’s symposiums are currently being bolstered for audio clarity; stay tuned for their uploads to our website. Meantime, stay up with Dr. Terry on Instagram and LinkedIn. Please join us in welcoming her to the Official Record of Hip Hop. 

by Kate Harvie, Contributing Writer for The Hip Hop Museum (originally published April 2024)