Jump to content

Hip Hop Caucus

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sarahhr (talk | contribs) at 21:14, 20 October 2010 (→‎Respect My Vote). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hip Hop Caucus
File:Hip hop caucus logo.jpg
Website

Overview

The Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a a national, non-profit organization, which utilizes the power of hip-hop and the hip hop generation. The Hip Hop Caucus is committed to youth empowerment as defined by increases in civic awareness and participation.

The Hip Hop Caucus was established to provide a comprehensive agenda for the Hip Hop community both domestically and abroad. The Caucus’ programs promote social and political equality in the areas of Economics, Education, Health Care, Housing, the Environment and Social Justice. The Hip Hop Caucus is a member of the Black Leadership Forum and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. is President & CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus. He is a former co-creator of P. Diddy's landmark Vote or Die campaign of 2004. In 2003 and 2004 he was the Political and Grassroots Director for Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network, as well as a Senior Consultant to Jay Z's Citizen Change "Voice Your Choice" campaign.

Campaigns and Events

Respect My Vote

Respect My Vote! is a voter mobilization campaign that focuses on educating, registering and mobilizing young people of color between the ages of 18-39 who live in urban communities, do not attend college, people with felony records who are unaware of their voting rights, and students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In 2008, the Hip Hop Caucus joined forces with hip hop artist T.I. to launch the "Respect My Vote" campaign seeking to add more to the growing momentum[1] of the youth movement. The campaign gained media attention from outlets from MTV[2] and Politico[3]. Respect My Vote successfully empowered and delivered more young voters from the hip-hop community, building on gains seen in 2004 and 2006.[4] Kick-off parties were held across multiple cities and many other celebrities and leading activists came out to help T.I. spread the word to hip hop communities across the nation. Analysis of the 2008 electorate showed that while overall numbers of voters did not increase as dramatically as expected, the composition of the electorate was notably different with increased participation once again seen among minority youth voters.[5]

One Vote Day

The Hip Hop Caucus’ – Respect My Vote! Campaign, along with Radio One, and the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, registered more than 30,000 voters during its national “One Vote Day” voter registration drive on September 30, 2008[6]. Sixteen cities across the country participated in events aimed at mass voter registration. Radio One stations broadcasted live from central locations in each of the participating cities urging unregistered voters to attend their local registration site to register onsite[7]. Artists such as Nelly and Raheem DeVaughn helped draw large crowds to registration stations, allowing Hip Hop Caucus volunteers to register an average of 1,200 voters within each of the different markets.

Respect My Vote! National Bus Tour

During the 2008 general elections The Respect My Vote! campaign traveled to 20 cities on the “Respect My Vote! Get Out The Vote Bus Tour” to encourage voting by distributing pledge cards and having celebrities discuss the value of voting [8].. The tour included the largest ever Get Out the Vote Rally at Florida A&M University[9].

Green 2 Live

Green 2 Live works to raise awareness within low-communities of color about the particular impacts of climate change on their communities and position these same communities to be leaders in a clean energy economy. Green 2 Live represents the Hip Hop Caucus' work around a inclusive clean energy economy accessible to all and the raising awareness on the impacts of climate change on low income communities of color. To this end, the Hip Hop Caucus created Green the City and Green the Block campaigns to carry out the goals of Green 2 Live. Events have included the Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now Tour with the Alliance for Climate Protection[10] [11][12] and the Historically Black College and University Tour with National Wildlife Federation[13]

Green the Block

Green the Block is a national campaign and coalition created by the Hip Hop Caucus and Green For All. This campaign is aimed at helping low-income communities of color become driving forces of the clean-energy economy[14].

The campaign, which was launched[15] at the White House[16] on President Obama’s birthday (August 4, 2009), reaches out to communities around the country to enlighten and encourage people to take better care of the environment.

Green the Block has helped organize over 100 community service projects in cities around the country including Memphis[17], Oakland[18], Washington[19], and Miami[20].

The campaign hosted a 16-city Campus Consciousness Tour featuring Hip-Hop artist, Drake to encourage college students to join clean-energy efforts[21].

Green the City

Launched in 2010 as joint campaign between the National Conference of Black Mayors and the Hip Hop Caucus Education Fund, Green the City works closely with African American Mayors and city residents to ensure their cities lead in the clean energy economy.

June 28-30, 2010 the HHCEF and the National Conference of Black Mayors hosted the Green the City Advocacy Summit that brought 25 mayors to Washington, DC, to kick off the Green the City campaign and meet with members of Congress, Administration officials, and heads of the Environmental Protection Agency to advocate for an inclusive clean energy future for our country[22][23].

March on Gretna

On November 7, 2005, Rev. Yearwood led the first post-Hurricane Katrina march in Gretna, Louisiana to protest the racial profiling of survivors. The march attracted 150 participants, including many displaced residents. As a result of this effort, police officers were convicted of denying human rights to African-American families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.[24]

Gulf Coast Renewal

The Hip Hop Caucus implemented the Gulf Coast Renewal campaign after the devastating disaster of Hurricane Katrina. The campaign focused on the affected areas of the Gulf Coast including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Rev. Yearwood and the Hip Hop Caucus organized partnerships with national and grassroots organizations to advocate for the rights of Hurricane Katrina survivors.

After public mobilization, two marches in Washington, DC, testimony to Congress, and other hard work, the Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign successfully pushed back FEMA’s preemptive temporary housing evictions of Katrina Survivors. The success of the Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign earned the Hip Hop Caucus the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award, an annual award given by the Institute for Policy Studies to those helping to advance human rights.

Stop the Violence in New Orleans

Fifteen months after Hurricane Katrina, the Hip Hop Caucus hosted the “Stop the Violence” town hall meeting at John McDonogh Senior High School in New Orleans, LA. Hip-Hop artists and community activists gathered with youth, parents, and other concerned citizens to address the issue of gun violence in the city. Panelists included rappers Doug E. Fresh, Slim Thug, and many local rappers, along with President Kenneth Barnes Sr. of ROOT Inc. (Reaching Out to Others Together), community activist Ronald Coleman, and Councilmen James Carter. Audience members and panelists discussed possible steps to be taken to put an end to the violence in the streets of New Orleans.

Enough is Enough

In 2007, the Hip Hop Caucus began to address the issues of violence, police brutality, and hate crimes. On November 17, 2007, the Hip Hop Caucus along with 4,000 young people gathered on the National Mall for the "Enough is Enough, Stop Police Brutality and Hate Crimes" rally. This rally brought attention to the cases of Sean Bell, Megan Williams, Martin Lee Anderson, and other young African-American victims of police brutality and hate crimes.

Make Hip-Hop Not War

The Hip Hop Caucus launched the “Make Hip-Hop Not War” campaign in 2007 to engage young people in the anti-war movement. The Hip Hop Caucus along with Hip-Hop artists and Iraq War veterans, reached people in 16 cities through a national bus tour. The tour which consisted of rallies and roundtables, informed young people about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as encouraged them to speak out against war. This campaign also worked to gain political attention to encourage Congress to stop funding the war in Iraq. The “Make Hip-Hop Not War” campaign received the Walter E. Fauntroy No FEAR Institute Award on May 14, 2008 for its efforts to speak out against the government and war-supporting institutions.

Shut it Down, Stop the Torture

Hip Hop Caucus partnered with Amnesty International to organizing the “Shut It Down, Stop the Torture” event in Washington, D.C. to advocate the closure Guantanamo Bay. The informational briefing and concert raised awareness on human rights and the events that took place at Guantanamo Bay. The event was held on Juneteenth (June 19, 2007), which was symbolic in comparing emancipation of slaves and the current situation at Guantanamo Bay.

Hip-Hop Help Haiti

After the massive earthquake in Haiti that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands people, the Hip Hop Caucus created HipHopHelpHaiti.org, a network to empower people to take action in response to the crisis. The 500 member online network is updated periodically and provides information on people can be involved and provide assistance to the Haitian population.


References

  1. ^ http://futuremajority.com/node/1099
  2. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598287/20081030/t_i_.jhtml
  3. ^ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22684.html
  4. ^ http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS07_QuickFacts_Midterm_06/metro_07.pdf
  5. ^ http://projectvote.org/fileadmin/ProjectVote/Blog_docs/Demographics_of_Voters_in_the_2008_Election.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2008/10/03-20
  7. ^ http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0908/557731.html
  8. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-simmons-and-rev-lennox-yearwood/getting-out-the-vote_b_134867.html
  9. ^ http://www.youtube.com/user/HipHopCaucus#p/c/AEE77D32419CAC76/3/N1bxgChQC1o
  10. ^ http://www.nul.org/content/hip-hop-caucus-clean-energy-bus-tour
  11. ^ http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/02/20/hip-hop-caucus-clean-energy-now-tour-gives-energy-conservation-kits-columbia/
  12. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gloria-reuben/a-bus-ride-for-clean-ener_b_465553.html
  13. ^ http://www.thefamuanonline.com/lifestyles/hip-hop-caucus-event-teaches-students-to-create-a-greener-environment-1.2226310
  14. ^ http://greentheblock.net/about-green-block
  15. ^ http://www.theroot.com/blogs/sustainability/green-block-coming-hood-near-you
  16. ^ http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Green_The_Block/
  17. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IZVhl8PWWk&feature=player_embedded
  18. ^ http://greentheblock.net/blog/greening-block-oakland-style
  19. ^ http://greentheblock.net/blog/green-block-washington-dc
  20. ^ http://www.greenforall.org/media-room/press-clips/green-jobs-a-draw-at-miami-dade-college-event
  21. ^ http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/06/23/drake-pledges-to-green-his-block/
  22. ^ http://www.afro.com/sections/news/afro_briefs/story.htm?storyid=1713
  23. ^ http://ncbm.org/2010/07/taking-green-the-city-to-the-capitol/
  24. ^ http://revcom.us/a/023/march-across-crescent-city.htm

External references

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hip_Hop_Caucus&oldid=391910989"