Words Beats & Life To Receive $75,000 Our Town Grant From The National Endowment For The Arts

Words Beats & Life, DC's longest-standing hip-hop-based arts educational nonprofit, has been approved for a $75,000 Our Town award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support a series of art and creativity workshops with vulnerable populations in health care settings, community spaces, and prison facilities. This is one of 68 grants nationwide, totaling $5 million, that the NEA has approved in the Our Town category. These creative placemaking grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into local efforts to strengthen and authentically engage communities, center equity, advance artful lives, and lay the groundwork for long-term systems change.

"Projects like Words Beats & Life exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities-all through the arts," said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. "So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design, and the National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring people across the country benefit."

"We believe in the transformative power of art, and this grant will enable us to extend our reach, fostering connection and self-expression where it's needed most," says Mazi Mutafa, founder and executive director of Words Beats & Life. "This funding is a pivotal step toward breaking down the barriers that prevent access to the healing power of art, and we are inspired to bring this vision to life, empowering individuals and our communities to rise and thrive through creativity."

The grant will support a series of art and creativity workshops with vulnerable populations in health care settings, community spaces, and prison facilities. Embrace your inner hip-hop philanthropist and make a positive impact by supporting Words Beats & Life through your generous donations today. Your contributions play a pivotal role in sustaining workshops, after-school programs, concerts, and festivals. By investing in their arts-based educational programs, you empower a diverse community of youth, creatives, practicing artists, and scholars to bridge the gap between theory and practice, unleashing the true potential of hip-hop culture. Learn more about Words Beats & Life on the website: https://wblinc.org/

For more information on the projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Sound Design - Top 3

1. Adam Fisher - The Lost Boys

38% of votes

2. Tony Gayle - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

11.5% of votes

3. Kai Harada - Ragtime

7.1% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats