Teaching Note-Hamilton: A Pedagogy of Social Justice and Revolution in Social Work Education

It is imperative that social work programs facilitate discussions pertaining to social justice in the classroom. This gives students the space to navigate barriers to changing policy and oppressive systems. However, there are multiple barriers to having critical discussions of challenges in advocating for marginalized and oppressed groups. One way to engage in critical discussion is to use pop culture. The Broadway musical Hamilton provides both musical and dialog content that can be used as a foundation to discuss multiple issues related to social justice, including the roles of rioting and how to be an effective accomplice in fighting injustice. The content of Hamilton can help students explore how to start and maintain their own revolutions and facilitate social change.