![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
At Spotify, we want to equip student creators with the tools and resources needed to harness their creativity and shape the future of audio. Our NextGen program, which is sponsored by the Creator Equity Fund (CEF), is designed to infuse, activate, and grow podcast culture on college campuses across the country.
Spotify NextGen recently partnered with Howard University and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nikole Hannah-Jones, Knight Chair in Race and Journalism, to create a special podcasting course. The result is 1619: The College Edition, a dynamic, three-episode series produced entirely by the class. In the podcast, the students apply their unique lens to what they learned from studying Professor Hannah-Jones' book, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, and make compelling connections to the ways that slavery still impacts lives today.
Kristin Jarrett, Lead, Equity Diversity & Impact at Spotify, said, The NextGen program brings podcast culture directly to college campuses and encourages educators to take an audio-first approach to their curriculum. In partnering with HBCUs around the country, Spotify is addressing the access gap to the audio industry by providing the next generation of audio storytellers with resources and skills needed to kickstart a career in audio. We're proud of the partnership with Howard University, and of the student-produced podcast that was made during the semester-it exemplifies the power of podcasts as a meaningful way to share stories and experiences that may otherwise go unheard.
To celebrate the launch of the podcast, Spotify NextGen held a listening party on April 16 on Howard University's campus. Howard's 2024 NextGen Scholar, Karys Hylton-a sophomore journalism major-was also notified of her $10,000 Spotify NextGen scholarship live at the event.
NEXT
The listening party was the second time bringing the 1619: The College Edition podcast creators to the main stage. Nikole Hannah-Jones and Kristin Jarrett joined Howard student scriptwriter Rachel McCain at the Podcast Movement Evolutions conference in Los Angeles last month for a panel moderated by Tristan O'Donnell, Senior Creative Strategist at Spotify.
For the Record sat down with Professor Hannah-Jones to discuss the impact of the course, the importance of a younger generation's perspective, and how storytelling drives policy.
What does it mean for the audio industry to invest in and support underrepresented voices through initiatives like NextGen? Our communities are flush with talent but low on resources. It's critical for the audio industry to invest in order to reach new and important voices whom we would otherwise not hear from.
The 1619 Project won you the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2020 and an Emmy for the docuseries just earlier this year. How does it feel to share-and expand on-this work with a younger generation of Black students? As a professor, I always feel that I learn as much from my students as they do from me, so it has been such a joy and inspiration to create the next iteration of this work with the young people I teach. Their perspective on stories brings a vitality and insight that is unique to them but critical for the rest of us, and I love that this podcast echoes my own work-even as it pushes it forward.
How would you describe the relationship between storytelling and social justice? How do you use storytelling as a tool for advocacy? Narrative drives policy. So, if we want to change our society, we have to create the narratives that reveal why social justice is necessary and the roadmaps for how it can be achieved. I use storytelling as a tool for advocacy-by using narrative to inform us on the histories that allow us to understand how inequality was created, by revealing the real people who bear the consequences of this inequality, and by creating the urgency for us to act.
What's one piece of advice you would give your 18-year-old self? Stop comparing yourself to others. You have your own path. And every struggle you have faced, and will face, is preparing you to one day step into your power.
Who are some creators that inspire you? If you could collaborate with any of them, who would you choose and why? I'm inspired by so many creators across many realms. I'd love to collaborate with Pharrell Williams because of his artistry in fashion and music, as well as his activism, and Lanny Smith, who created the fabulous Black-owned athletic wear company Actively Black. I'm also inspired by artists such as Bisa Butler and by writers such as Ta-Nehisi Coates and Isabel Wilkerson, who are all Howard alumni Just too many to name.
What podcasts are you listening to right now? I love listening to Throughline, Higher Learning, and Small Doses. And one of my all-time favorites is investigative podcast In The Dark.
Check out 1619: The College Edition to hear Howard voices unpack a mix of history, culture, and contemporary issues.
More from Spotify
26/07/2024
Last month, Spotify's annual Songs of Summer predictions made their return, ...
26/07/2024
Summer is peak season for some of our favorite sports and events. Whether you're rooting for the home team at the ballpark or cheering for your country as i...
25/07/2024
At Spotify, we aim to bring great audiobooks to as many listeners as possible, i...
24/07/2024
Building anticipation ahead of a new album release is one of the most important ways for artists to ensure its success. But in today's music landscape, gain...
23/07/2024
Today, we announced our second quarter 2024 earnings. Led by healthy subscriber gains, improved monetization, and record profitability, Spotify reported
Month...
23/07/2024
Idag publicerar Spotify sina finansiella resultat f r andra kvartalet 2024. Med stark kning av antalet premiumanv ndare, f rb ttrad int ktsgenerering och rekor...
19/07/2024
By Marcelina Slota - Head of Platform Integrity, Spotify
Safety is a top priority for Spotify, which is why we want to make it easier for young people and pare...
18/07/2024
Summer is officially in full swing, and that means it's time to chill out. Whether you're heading out on vacation or hoping to make the most of Summer F...
17/07/2024
When we launched our AI DJ in English last year, it gave listeners a new way to connect with and discover music on Spotify. DJ is a personalized AI guide that k...
17/07/2024
Cuando lanzamos AI DJ en ingl s el a o pasado, ofrecimos a los usuarios una nueva forma de conectar y descubrir m sica en Spotify. DJ es una gu a de IA personal...
11/07/2024
Around the world, the shift toward streaming has completely transformed the musi...
09/07/2024
For podcast creators who want to grow their audiences, building a stronger relationship with their listeners and fans goes a long way. And in order to amplify t...
03/07/2024
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Just ask Emma Roberts, star of t...
28/06/2024
As one of the most powerful forms of human expression today, video is becoming...
27/06/2024
Since 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent...
27/06/2024
Summer 2024 is officially underway, and with it comes our possibilities for personalizing the soundtrack that'll have you grooving through August. For examp...
25/06/2024
June is Pride Month, a time to honor and celebrate the vibrant LGBTQIA community and its rich history, culture, and achievements. It's also a time to eleva...
24/06/2024
Peso Pluma-aka La Doble P -is one of the fastest-growing Latin artists in Spotify's history and the first to go from 2 million monthly listeners to 50 mill...
21/06/2024
On Spotify, users discover and enjoy music, podcasts, and audiobooks, with various plans that meet our listeners' needs. We offer subscriptions for every st...
21/06/2024
This week, Spotify returned to the South of France for the 2024 Cannes Lions Int...
20/06/2024
Sabrina Carpenter is officially having a moment. From her game-changing Coachell...
20/06/2024
As Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent from around the world, RADAR supports emerging artists on their journeys to global stardom. Since its launch...
19/06/2024
A self-described tourist of different musical genres, Latin Pop sensation Camilo has quickly become one of Colombia's biggest musical exports in recent year...
19/06/2024
Kevin Kwan is one of the most distinguished authors of our time, and has captiva...
13/06/2024
From the music studio to the dance challenge, from the lifestyle to the mpahla (slang for fashion), women have played a critical role in shaping and giving dire...
13/06/2024
Spend enough time browsing music and entertainment news sites, and you'll find no shortage of articles about Amapiano's decade-long rise from undergroun...
13/06/2024
Today Amapiano is everywhere. Some of the world's biggest artists, including...
13/06/2024
Amapiano is a force to be reckoned with on the global music stage, and this is thanks to its influence on popular culture. Spotify provides a home for Amapiano...
13/06/2024
The sound of Amapiano is like prolonging moments when, in South African townships, the sounds of everyday living merge with the music that forms the bedrock of ...
13/06/2024
You can't search for South African music today and not have several Amapiano artists appear in your results. The genre has surged across global dance floors...
12/06/2024
Can you hear the soundtrack to your life over the next few months? It's time for Spotify's Songs of Summer to take over your speakers as you hit the bea...
12/06/2024
In May, Spotify and Billie Eilish welcomed U.K. fans inside the vast, mysterious...
12/06/2024
Our planet is facing some serious issues. And How We Fix This-a new podcast host...
11/06/2024
From the rise of disco in the 1970s to the current wave of hyper pop, queer crea...
10/06/2024
In just a few weeks, fans from around the world will descend on the green fields...
10/06/2024
If you feel like your Spotify just gets you, you're not alone. We know each of our listeners has a unique relationship with their Spotify, or as many of t...
06/06/2024
Each year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, Sp...
05/06/2024
Si no puedes entrenar sin m sica, no est s solo. Hoy, Antonela Roccuzzo, una de ...
05/06/2024
If you can't get fit without music, you're not alone. Today, Antonela Ro...
03/06/2024
On Spotify, users discover and enjoy music, podcasts, and audiobooks. So that we can continue to invest in and innovate on our product features and bring users ...
03/06/2024
Spotify House is returning to CMA Fest for a fifth year, bringing back our marqu...
01/06/2024
Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Spotify
With billions of people from over 50 countries heading to the polls to cast their vote, 2024 is shaping u...
30/05/2024
Mental health and well-being are fundamental components of a child's healthy...
24/05/2024
On April 6, 1974, the Swedish pop quartet ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest w...
24/05/2024
For more than a year, the U.K. government has been working to redefine how the i...
22/05/2024
Spotify is as unique and personal as each listener who's plugged in daily, as well as the artists and creators who have found a home on our platform. We nev...
21/05/2024
As Spotify continues to grow its worldwide audience for audiobooks, we're thrilled to welcome two new publishing partners-Bonnier Books UK and Blackstone Pu...
20/05/2024
Reviews by Carl Chery, Kemet High, and Adrian Covert
In February, we launched Spotify CLASSICS-our first-ever program to celebrate catalog music. Our inaugur...
16/05/2024
May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with ment...
15/05/2024
Med sin rliga royaltyrapport Loud & Clear kar Spotify transparensen i musikindustrin, s att artister, l tskrivare, fans och hela musikbranschen f r en st rre...