A group of Louisville kids + teens are marching to the beat of their own drum their own beat and making a difference in our community using music.
The social justice youth hip-hop group The Real Young Prodigy’s started in 2016 when Wheatley Elementary School teacher Nyree Clayton-Taylor’s fifth graders wanted to rap in her creative writing class. She challenged them to perform at a celebration of Phillis Wheatley, and they rose to the challenge by forming The Real Young Prodigy’s. Now, around 30 students ages 8 to 17 produce music about social justice issues + Black history.
Their 2021 song “CROWN,” which stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” helped push forward the CROWN Act, which expanded anti-discrimination laws in Louisville to protect hairstyles.
Their music has also tackled issues like reparations and, most recently, access to bus transportation in JCPS.
