Across the country, students and families are struggling to adjust to busing changes. From New Jersey to Arizona, school bus driver shortages are creating hours-long bus rides, delays, and other frustrations. Louisville, Kentucky, reports a relatively smooth start in terms of transportation for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) students—but that’s only because of the decision to cut bus routes to many of its traditional and magnet schools.
As you might expect, the move hasn’t come without its fair share of backlash. Protests, complaints, and even a lawsuit are underway. And now, according to WAVE, things have taken a creative turn with the release of a hip-hop protest video featuring Louisville students.
“Where My Bus At?” and the power of student voices
Titled “Where My Bus At?,” the song is the latest form of protest against JCPS’s busing cuts. And it’s making waves for more reasons than one. The Real Young Prodigys are the artists behind this hit. They are a group of JCPS students who are also part of HHN2L—short for Hip-Hop Into Learning, created as a platform for Black youth to use hip-hop, music videos, and travel to spark positive change on local, state, and even global levels.
The group, co-founded by NyRee Clayton-Taylor and her husband, Antonio Taylor, is all about giving students a voice. Clearly, this latest project does exactly that. The Taylors shared that the idea for the video came from the students themselves. Over the summer, JCPS’s new transportation plan became a hot topic in the local news. And in the midst of frustration, an idea was born.
“Our students have been dealing with busing issues for a while now,” Clayton-Taylor explained. “A few months ago, they decided they wanted to address the issue in their own way. Check out “Where My Bus At?” here:
Powerful lyrics for powerful change
The lyrics in this song are definitely worth unpacking. They’re powerful, smart, and convincing!
“I wish that it was back like it was before/I miss it when the bus came straight to my door.”
“Pretty girl that’s educated/getting straight As I’m motivated/Catch a rebound on the playground/Why y’all take my transportation?”
The students of The Real Young Prodigys do something no one else can: tell their story from their point of view. This first-person perspective makes viewers consider the individual human experience in what could be tempting to dismiss as a mere bureaucratic setback.
These two lines in particular are too good to miss:
“I’m a good kid/I stay in class, too/teachers want to me to succeed, but I can’t get to school”
“It’s all on the news/But I don’t want to fuss/Don’t got no one to drive/Hold up, let me whip the bus”
Someone get these kids a record deal!
Creative solutions and the road ahead
The video highlights a major concern: Many students have lost access to their schools of choice due to the bus-route cuts. In total, 43 JCPS schools have been impacted by the district’s decision. According to JCPS, the hope is that if more bus drivers become available, some of these services could be reinstated.
But in the meantime, the students of HHN2L aren’t waiting around for change to happen on its own. They’re using their talents and voices to keep the conversation going. “Music is their language,” said Taylor. “This is how they tell their stories, and we couldn’t be prouder of them for expressing themselves in such a powerful way about real issues that affect their lives.”
So, while the buses might not be rolling for everyone just yet, the students’ message is clear: They’re not sitting quietly on the sidelines. And who knows? Maybe a catchy beat and some well-placed lyrics will be just the thing to get the wheels turning—both literally and figuratively.