Family Week is a yearly event hosted by Sonoma State University in hopes to connect Seawolves and their families with the SSU campus. The celebration this year includes hearing from some of the school’s administration and officials, indulging in school traditions, and showing families where the students home away from home is. With this year’s events being all virtual, SSU has put on several zoom-based events for everyone to enjoy.
One event in particular that stood out and turned out to be a student favorite was the Alphabet Rockers, who are a hip-hop dance group that advocate for equality and ending racism and hate. Founders Kaitlyn McGaw and Tommy Shepherd, created the group in effort to create brave spaces to shape a more equitable world through hip hop. They have two GRAMMY nominated albums that they are accompanied by kids who sing on the album as well. The group focuses on empowering children and letting them know that their voice is heard and being listened to. As the next generation grows into tomorrow’s leaders it is important to teach them that there is no place for racism and hate in this world anymore. They have built a reputation for celebrating all walks of life and not degrading anybody and are proudly embrace Black liberation, Queer liberation, Indigenous rights, immigrant rights, and intersectionality. SSU Sophomore, Rob Nagle stated, “I’ve heard of them before and they do great work. What they do for kids and people who don’t have a voice Is inspiring.”
The event was hosted by Green Music center Executive Director, Jacob Yarrow while McGaw and Shepherd were guest speaking. The three dove deep into what really, Alphabet Rockers truly means. The group’s core mission is to advocate for the youth while giving them important life lessons to carry on throughout their adulthood. They displayed this in the event by showing many hit songs that talked about ending hate and loving each other no matter how anyone looks. The conversation was an engaging workshop that included dancing, singing, and spreading positive messages to all.
One of the songs that was performed in the event was, ‘My Light’ sung by the Alphabet Rockers. This hit single was all about showing children, in particular girls, that they are the ones in power in their own life. The lyrics state that girls deserve to be celebrated and shown in the media as the strong and powerful people they are.
Another song that was played during the event was, ‘Stand Up for You’ which is all about having each other’s back and no matter the circumstance. The message in this song is that standing up for one another is a good thing to do and helps others become a better person as well. To SSU Junior, Jett Guretin, the catchy tune, “Resonated a lot with me. Standing up for others and having your friends back no matter what is something that I think very highly of and think it’s an important lesson to be taught.
The whole event was filled with positive and inspiring lessons that help adults and children really recognize that it takes every single person to help eliminate racism and hate in this world. With helping the community and the future, Alphabet Rockers aim to spread positivity by light of hip hop and music. For any more questions regarding the band and when they next will appear in Sonoma County, check their ‘Alphabet Rockers’ website online for more information.
