User:Aihawkins/be bold

Introduction
Amina Ayo Norman-Hawkins (born November 17, 1969), also known by her stage name Amina, is an American rapper, poet, educator, filmmaker and activist. She is best known for her work as the founder of both Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month (2001-present) and The Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative (2003-present), as well as her 2010 documentary "Keep It Moving-The Movie: Chicago Hip-Hop to Cote d’Ivoire". Amina is  internationally recognized as a hip-hop practitioner 

Early Life and Career
Amina was born Amina Ayo Norman-Hawkins, and is of Nigerian and Cameroonian ancestry. She was born in Waukegan, Illinois and raised in Chicago until she was seven years old. Her family then moved to Nigeria in 1976, and lived in various areas including Lagos and Ikenne where she learned to speak Yoruba fluently. While in Nigeria, she gained four younger brothers. She graduated from the well-known Mayflower School for high school. By 1986, Amina moved back to Chicago and soon built a name for herself as a local poet and emcee.

1992-2000 Chicago Poetry & Hip-Hop, Networking, and Urbanized Music

Shortly after her family relocated to the United States, Amina began performing in various clubs and venues all over the city of Chicago. She became well known at several iconic open mics in the city, such as Spices, Literary Explosions (Lit-Ex), and Hot House. Earlier on in her career, she also made the effort to perform in more philanthropic venues such as churches and schools, and even performed poems and raps for inmates at the Stateville Correctional Facility.

As she began to build connections within the Chicago hip-hop scene, Amina began working to enhance her networking skills. She created Chicago Urban Mines (Music Industry Networking & Entertainment Socials), which was a monthly networking event meant to connect emcees, singers, writers, poets, dancers, and DJs with one another to strengthen the artistic scene in Chicago as a whole. Amina soon teamed up with Coolout Chris, an emcee and producer known for his work in the rap group Spalaney’s, and together they formed a hip-hop collective known as Urbanized Music.

2001-2009 Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month, Panels, and Continued Initiatives
In 2001, Amina spearheaded the effort to create a ''' month dedicated to hip-hop artists, history, and culture in the city. After several meetings with government officials, she founded Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month in July of that year. Two years later in 2003, she founded the Chicago Hip-Hip Initiative, which was '''

Throughout the decade and beyond, Amina’s reputation had earned her seats on panels with several activists, artists, and academics including Gloria Steinem, Fat Joe, Dr. Carol Adams, Jeff Chang, Darryl "D.M.C." Matthews McDaniels of Run-D.M.C., authors Joan Morgan and  Bakari Kitwana, and most recently MC Lyte. She has been featured on C-SPAN on multiple occasions, and has ''' spoken at several institutions such as Northwestern University and …….. '''She was still actively performing during this time, and while many of the venues she started her career in had gone away, she had several performances on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium Park, Steppenwolf Theatre, Navy Pier, and The Chicago Cultural Center along with several prominent clubs and performance venues that are still open today.

2010-2011 International Work and Keep It Moving
Amina was sent by the United States Embassy to Cote D’Ivoire as a cultural envoy in 2010. Leading a team that included herself, Coolout Chris, and prominent female hip-hop emcee Ang13, she spent two weeks traveling the country, spreading messages of peace and community through the avenue of hip-hop. The three artists held workshops and performances in cities such as Abidjan ….. After returning to the United States, Amina compiled hours of footage and interviews to create an indie documentary called "Keep It Moving-The Movie: Chicago Hip-Hop to Cote d’Ivoire". The film has been screened at several venues and festivals nationally since its release.

2013-Present: Columbia College Chicago
Amina Norman-Hawkins became a faculty member at Columbia College Chicago in 2013, teaching a course titled "Hip-Hop: A Sonic History". She served on a committee that worked to create a Hip-Hop Studies minor for the institution, and by the Fall of 2017 the program was officially launched.

 Events to also include: 


 *  B-Girl Power 
 *  Urbanized Music 
 *  Activism and Teaching Artist Work 

Personal Life
Amina married Chris Hawkins (Coolout Chris) in May of 1998. They have one daughter together. Amina is still lecturing at Columbia College Chicago, doing outreach with youth across the Chicagoland area, and performing across the country.