B.A. in Anthropology, University of Virginia (1996)
M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from National Louis University (2004)
Executive Certificate in Arts & Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania (2018).
Bio
Gabriel ‘Asheru’ Benn, M.Ed., is a visionary educator, acclaimed artist, and social entrepreneur whose career spans nearly three decades at the intersection of arts, culture, and education. Of Caribbean American descent and raised between the United States and Barbados, his multicultural background has profoundly shaped his worldview and his innovative approach to culturally responsive teaching. Nationally recognized as a pioneer of the Hip Hop Education movement, Benn is the founder of the Hip Hop Educational Literacy Program and Guerilla Arts Ink, an arts and education social business established in 2006. His integrated curriculum design has made him a leading voice in STEAM education, youth and community engagement, and restorative practices.
Benn’s impact extends far beyond the classroom. In 2006, he won a Peabody Award for his contributions to the acclaimed television show The Boondocks. His global influence was further solidified in 2014 when he was named a Global Hip Hop Cultural Ambassador by the US State Department. A dedicated leader in educational innovation, he has been a faculty member of the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) since 2016 and was honored as the Education Innovator of the Year by the BOND Program at Montgomery College in 2022. He is also the founder of the R.H.Y.T.H.M. Framework, which integrates restorative practices and special education services into modern teaching methodologies.
Benn’s academic foundation includes a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Virginia (1996), an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from National Louis University (2004), and an Executive Certificate in Arts & Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania (2018). Continuing his commitment to educational excellence, he serves as a Scholar in Residence at the American University School of Education for the 2026-2027 academic year.
A devoted father of four, Benn resides in Historic Anacostia, Washington, DC, where he continues to champion community empowerment through his mediums of choice: Hip Hop music, media, and education.
