The power of music and the power of politics met Tuesday, with a hip-hop mogul and one of the most prominent leaders in Congress joining their considerable forces to spotlight issues facing youth in America.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a youth conference co-sponsored by entrepreneur and entertainer Russell Simmons in Washington. The one-day event, called Keeping the Promise to Our Children, brought legislators together with entertainment A-listers, including Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard, who used their celebrity to advocate a variety of causes: foster care, health care and education among them.

Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network and the nonprofit, California-based Children Uniting Nations hosted the event. This is the fourth conference organized by Daphna Ziman, an adoptive mother of a child formerly in foster care and founder of Children Uniting Nations, which matches children in foster care with mentors.

Actress Gabrielle Union and actor/musician Howard were among the celebrities at the conference who pushed for policy changes directed at improving educational outreach to foster children. Only 54 percent of children in foster care graduate high school, according to the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Center for Children.

“Intervening in the lives of these young people, giving them a sense of dignity and worth, providing them with more opportunities, therefore, is one of the most important things you can do, not just for them, which is the most important thing, but for the strength of our country,” said Pelosi at a news conference before the event.

Panel discussions at the conference also addressed nutrition, mental health, HIV/AIDS and drug abuse. Children Uniting Nations plans to lobby Congress on these issues, said the organization’s spokeswoman, Juliette Harris.

Last year, the organization pushed for a $5,000 college loan subsidy for students who mentor at-risk youths, and the subsidy was passed in the House as part of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. This year, the organization has lobbied for the Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009, which was introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana; and Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-New York, also attendees at Tuesday’s conference. The act proposes an allocation of $15 million for foster-care mentoring programs.

Investing in youths now can help them stay out of trouble and be more successful adults, said Simmons.

“We have such a great opportunity to make changes at this time and save our communities money and anguish,” said Simmons. “The economics of saving kids save money.”

Source:
CNN

Children Uniting Nations (CUN), one of the premier non-profit institutions working with at-risk youth, recently announced its partnership with Russell Simmons’ “Hip Hop Summit Action Network”, heading into the 4th Annual “Keeping the Promise to our Children” conference in Washington DC. Set for June 9th, HSAN president and historic civil rights veteran Dr. Benjamin Chavis held a key role in the new partnership’s formation, which will be formally introduced through a morning press conference held at the House Capitol Building and the following conference with panel discussions in the famous Woodrow Wilson Plaza located in the Ronald Reagan Building.  

This year’s confirmed political leaders include former House Majority Leader Richard Armey, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, Senator Evan Bayh, Congressman Dennis Cardoza, Congressman Joe Crowley, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Mary Landrieu, Honorable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Adam Schiff, Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator John Kerry, Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Diane Watson, Congressman Howard Berman, Speaker of Assembly Karen Bass and Senator Dianne Feinstein while others are confirming daily.

In the year since the last conference, Children Uniting Nations has seen significant legislative achievements in support of mentoring for at-risk children. An amendment to provide loan forgiveness to community college students who mentor at-risk youth in their communities was passed by the House as part of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act in 2008, and an amendment to support the mentoring of children in foster care was passed unanimously in the Senate as part of the recent Serve America Act (2009). CUN looks forward to building upon these successes in the coming legislative session.

Children Uniting Nations Chairwoman Daphna Ziman remarked, “We are proud to be partnered with such an exceptional organization like the Hip Hop Summit Action Network. As advocates for education, health and other societal concerns essential to the empowerment of the world’s youth, we couldn’t have found a better match for this year’s conference.” Russell Simmons, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, emphasized, “Children Uniting Nations is one of the most effective organizations of our time and our partnership will help to raise public awareness about the key public policy issues that are focused on empowering children to have a better quality of life. The “Keeping the Promise to our Children” Conference in Washington on June 9, 2009 will enable more people to make a real difference on these important issues.”

Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President and Co-Founder of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network concluded, “We are very enthusiastic about our partnership with “Children Uniting Nations. Together we will help promote change in America and throughout the world in the interests of children. The opportunity to affect public policy and take action on behalf of millions of children is a welcomed challenge.”

Source:
PR Newswire

Seven years ago, the Hip-hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) kicked off with a town hall type meeting with participation from entertainment and music industry leaders. Since then, the organization has been using Hip-hop culture as a bridge to connect youth to community-based initiatives.

“That meeting was so powerful,” recalls Valeshia Butterfield, HSAN’s executive director. “The first objective was to address the Rockefeller Drug Laws, but also [to] engage young adults in the civic process.” In 2003, HSAN began its first push towards youth voter registration. Through its work with other organizations, Butterfield maintains that HSAN has helped register approximately 1.8 million voters.

“Looking [at] this election cycle,” adds the North Carolina native, “it was important for us to have a heavy online component.” To launch the Voteforit!08 public service announcement, HSAN partnered with CPXample, the philanthropic division of CPX Interactive, a New York based online advertising company. Currently, according to YouTube, the public service announcement has been viewed over 1.3 million times.

In addition to YouTube, Time Warner Cable announced that it would distribute the public service announcement on several platforms, including channels with strong youth-oriented demographics. Web surfers can also click onto the HSAN.org website to register to vote.

The question still remains, will the million plus clicks onto the YouTube Voteforit08!PSA translate into actual votes? It’s hard to say. At the same time, it’s not too hard to imagine that young people under thirty like, even an MTA worker in New York City and a ranch hand in Montana have something in common when it comes to the politics in their respective playlists.

And according to civicyouth.org, an online link to the Tufts University based non-partisan Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, over 6.5 million voters under the age of thirty participated in the primaries and caucuses across the nation this year. Issues like the economy, the minimum wage, education, and domestic security are central to this young voting demographic, says Butterfield. It’s interesting to note that the R-word (“race”) isn’t part of Butterfield’s assessment; the issues young people speak to her about cut across racial barriers.

Professor Michael Dawson, the John D. MacArthur professor of political science at the University of Chicago, believes that the young, tech-savvy urban demographic could help to sway the upcoming election in critical states. Dawson foresees a racially fluid voting bloc buoyed by the influence of young, black, and brown Hip-hop artists crossing over into more diverse suburban areas made up of whites, Asians, and middle class voting age youth.

“We have to think about how large the urban demographic is in particular states,” says Dawson. “In states like Michigan, Ohio [and] Pennsylvania, the urban demographic is large enough to tilt the election, if voters come out in very large numbers. I think that what we’re seeing among young people is that they’re embracing technology. We’re going to see to what degree these technologies have paid off in mobilizing groups of voters. In the long run [it] speaks to the transformation of American politics.”

Source:
Uptown Life 

“Get Your House Right!” is a homeownership tour that kicks off in New York City and is supported by corporate sponsor Genworth Financial. It works with professionals from the financial, mortgage and homeownership arena to educate Blacks and Latinos on the long-term benefits of homeownership in America.

“This stuff is not being taught in schools,” says Simmons.

Blacks have lost more than $92 billion because of foreclosures, and traditionally underrepresented groups are projected to lose more than $200 billion overall. HSAN understands the seriousness of this crisis and is using hip hop as a way to educate the younger generation.

“Russell’s at the cutting edge of using our hip-hop culture to implement social change,” says Chavis.

“Homeownership cultivates and upholds the viability of urban communities and provides a legacy of wealth creation that can be passed on from one generation to the next,” says Lori Jones Gibbs, vice president of affordable housing and industry affairs at Genworth Mortgage Insurance.

The tour will make stops in Houston; Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland; Baltimore; Richmond, Va.; St. Louis; and Atlanta. However, HSAN notes that “Get Your House Right!” is a national effort and is not just focused on the tour cities.

Simmons says the initiative’s main objective is to answer the question “How do we build a better relationship with the financial world so that we can achieve our goals and live out the American dream?”

On July 9th many gathered for the PSA unveiling and launch party, guests included Hip-Hop mogul, Russell Simmons and former CEO of the NAACP now, President of Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis. I got the chance to go to this event and speak with both gentlemen, who had very optimistic things to say about this year’s youth vote.

“The idea that young people are going to pick the president is one that’s inspiring to me” said Simmons to the crowd of people who gathered at Room Service in NYC for the event. Simmons continued by saying, “There are so many issues I think young people are more concerned about than the previous generations.”

When talking personally with Simmons I could tell how excited he was about this up coming election.
With an enthusiastic crowd chatting among each other about the impact that this year’s youth will have, there was much talk about what kind of turn out there will be come November.

“I think we’re going to have the largest youth vote turn out in American history this November”, said Dr. Benjamin Chavis.

Dr. Benjamin Chavis also commented to me about our special that aired last weekend, Election 08: The Y Factor, stating that he really enjoyed the special. As well he mentioned, “I thought Fox News went beyond what the other networks are doing a lot of people are underestimating the importance of this youth vote.”

I had to agree with him when he said a lot of people are underestimating the importance, because being in that youth voter range I know personally a lot of people are very concerned with who is going to be are next president and older generations do not realize that.

Vote for it 08 is really trying to get the word out to the youth about the importance of voting in the upcoming election and I think there on the right start. Using creative straw polls that seemed to be inspired by the youth during the event, such as the “Use your voice, drink your choice” ballot featuring the blue Obama Slammers and the red McCain Mashers encouraging young voters to utilize their voice this election.

The event was a great start to get people, not only the youth energized for November.

What the youth turn out will be in November, we’ll have to wait and see, but with events and organizations such as Vote for It 08, they are sure to get today’s youth riled up for this election. As Dr. Benjamin Chavis said, “In 2008, I think it’s going to be phenomenal.”

Source:
Fox News

The press conference to launch the national “Hip-Hop Team Vote: Turn Up The Vote” campaign will be held in the city of Philadelphia on March 19 at 11am EDT on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, Houston Hall (Bodek Lounge) at 3417 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. In addition, the press conference will announce a statewide youth voter registration effort between March 18 – March 24, the deadline to register voters for the April 22 Pennsylvania primary.  

Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO of the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund, Steve Phillips, Founder and Chairman of PowerPAC and Valeisha Butterfield, Executive Director of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, have joined together to issue a call to millions of 18-35 year olds to participate in the campaign. “Hip-Hop Team Vote: Turn Up The Vote” will utilize a variety of means to reach its target demographic and maximize youth voter registration, including hip-hop radio stations, artists, recording industry street teams, web and pod casts, social networks, blogs and grass roots organizing.

“We decided to draw the line, especially in Pennsylvania, to settle once and for all any question about the sustainability of the impact of the youth vote transforming the American political landscape,” declared HSAN former Chairman, Russell Simmons. “While there’s been much speculation, and in some instances outright denial, of the impact of the youth vote, we know the power and self expression of young people is growing. We want to celebrate that growth and encourage an even greater youth voter turnout.”

Dr. Benjamin Chavis emphasized, “The truth is, four years ago in the last national election, we witnessed the largest youth voter turnout in American history. We know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, the evolution of hip-hop culture helped to create that reality. We are already witnessing now in 2008 how young voters are building and expanding on the foundation laid four years ago. Civic engagement is a part of what it means to be a responsible citizen. And, in defiance of some of the myths about the responsibility of the hip-hop generation, it is in fact a significant testimony that the youth of today are not only rising to the occasion of responsibility, they are taking charge and will make the biggest difference in the outcome of the 2008 presidential election.”

The 18-29 year old segment of the hip-hop generation will be nearly 50 million strong in 2008, making up one third of the electorate. Civicyouth.org reported that between the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, youth voter turnout more than doubled.

“The hip-hop generation of this country will make the critical difference in determining the next President of the United States,” declared Valeisha Butterfield. “Through Hip-Hop Team Vote, we have redefined the face and perception of what it is to be a new young voter. As a program created to effectively engage young adults in the political process, Hip-Hop Team Vote has launched the ‘Turn Up The Vote’ campaign to address the issues that directly effect our generation and to ensure that our unified voice is heard loud and clear. As a young woman and professional in the recording industry, I send an open invitation to every young adult in the state of Pennsylvania and throughout America to join our movement.”

Added 22-year-old Philadelphia native, Lauren Goodwin, “As a 22 year old, recent college graduate, I recognize that my home state of Pennsylvania has an opportunity to make a tremendous impact on this nation. Although I have been involved in the political process in the past, this is the first election that I have felt truly engaged and connected to the issues. More is at stake than ever before because of the current war in Iraq, disproportionate funding for public education and the economic future of the United States. Pennsylvania, stand up and join me and the millions of other young adults by registering to vote and making our voices heard on April 22!”

“We’re about expanding democracy through support of communities that have been marginalized and underrepresented in the decision-making process,” offers Steve Phillips, founder and chairman of PowerPAC. “Our goal is to build a new base of political activism. This work is not about electing any particular candidate; it is about bringing people into the process.”

“I commend Russell Simmons on his ongoing efforts to energize the youth of this country to exercise their right to vote,” said Michael Steele, Chairman of GOPAC and former Lt. Governor of Maryland. “I am honored to be a part of energizing this exciting base of new voters. This generation of young Americans can transform the political landscape, regardless of party affiliation, simply by taking their seat at the table and making their voices heard through their vote. To these young and new voters, don’t believe the hype: your vote counts!”

The community partners are the United States Student Association and Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN).

Before publicly endorsing Senator Barack Obama recently, Russell Simmons chose to take a leave of absence as Chairman of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network until after the 2008 presidential election, to protect the integrity of the organization. However, he remains an active participant in HSAN events.

Source:
Business Wire

Recent polls show that young voters are poised to be the determining factor in the twenty-two states that will be holding Presidential primary elections tomorrow. Since 2003, HSAN has been a national leader in youth voter education, registration and mobilization. Its’ Hip-Hop Team Vote program has enabled and encouraged millions of young voters to participate in the electoral process.

Russell Simmons, Chairman of HSAN stated, “The 2008 Presidential Election is the most important of our lifetime. I am so proud that young voters are already weighing in, in record numbers. But tomorrow, on Super Tuesday, it is now clear that young voters will make the critical difference. That is why today we are using every single resource at our disposal via radio, television, Global Grind and the internet to mobilize the consciousness and the actions of young people to ensure their voice is heard tomorrow.”

On January 17, 2008, Russell Simmons, Deepak Chopra and Dr. Benjamin Chavis addressed an Open Letter to all of the Presidential candidates, both Democrat and Republican, that focused on issues that are important to young, progressive and independent voters. Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton have responded to the Open Letter. Full candidates responses to the Open Letter are available on www.hsan.org

The campaign office of Senator Barack Obama sent to HSAN Obama’s policy statements on the inclusiveness of American democracy, on responding to the challenges of global warming, eliminating poverty, ending the Iraq war and on the importance of Dr. King’s philosophy on the ‘beloved community.’

Senator Obama responded by stating, “Rising poverty is one of the most serious issues facing America today, and I believe that inserting simplistic tag lines or one-dimensional goals are unlikely to be helpful in meeting this challenge. As President, I will build off of my life experiences as a community organizer, civil rights lawyer and elected official to make poverty eradication a top goal of my administration.”

Valeisha Butterfield, HSAN Executive Director, affirmed “As a young voter, I am profoundly aware of the historic opportunity and responsibility that my generation has today. HSAN will work with other national organizations as well as grassroots leaders to maximize our impact.”

Senator Clinton responded in part by saying, “You know, as do Americans throughout our country, that the stakes in this election couldn’t be higher. We face enormous challenges – our economy is sliding into a recession, middle-class families are struggling to make ends meet, our schools are failing our children, and we have a war to end and alliances to rebuild all around the world. The next President must be ready to solve these problems from day one.”

Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO of HSAN, emphasized, “This is one of the greatest hours in the evolution of hip-hop culture. The music, the fashion, the lifestyle and now the unprecedented civic engagement that translates into millions of new voters is what makes hip-hop the most significant phenomenon in the 2008 election. Hip-hop transcends race and ethnicity and provides a unifying spirit and action to transform America.”

A recent Time magazine poll that focused on 18-29 year old potential voters showed that, in the last 8 years, there has been a dramatic shift in young people paying attention to the presidential campaigns. In 2000, only 13% of 18-29 year olds were paying attention; in 2004 that increased to 42% and in 2008, it has increased to 74%!

Source:
Business Wire

With the recent housing market crash affecting the economy, jobs, student loans and consumer confidence, young people need some sound financial advice on how to best manage their money and navigate through this volatile economic environment.

Bloomberg recently wrote, “The housing recession is making it harder for Americans to tap home equity to finance the spending that accounts for 70 percent of the economy. A slowdown in hiring and slimmer pay raises may further weaken consumer sentiment and purchasing power as overall growth slows.”  Reuters reported, “The multibillion-dollar market for securitized student loan debt faces new stresses as Congress moves to reshape the troubled student loan industry.”

The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and title sponsor Chrysler Financial are pleased to bring the Financial Empowerment Summit to Florida Memorial University’s A. Chester Robinson Athletic Center at 15800 Northwest 42 Ave. in Miami Gardens, Fla. The program takes place from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Doors open at noon.   Tickets for the Miami Summit are free and available at http://www.hsan.org/ . The presenting sponsor is Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

Joining HSAN Co-Chairmen Russell Simmons and Dr. Benjamin Chavis in Miami will be local hip-hop legend Trina, actress Gabrielle Union, R&B/Pop stars Ne-yo and LeToya Luckett, Latin hip-hop artist Joell Ortiz, rappers, Belly, Huey, entrepreneur Michael Chatman and representatives from Chrysler Financial Keith Myricks and Leonard Martin. Television personality Free will co-moderate the Summit with HSAN CEO/President Dr. Benjamin Chavis.

Russell Simmons emphasized, “With the proper education and information about financial literacy, a young person today can work hard and still be successful, even during the current economic environment.  Hip-hop is about creating and maximizing opportunity. It is about transforming the American dream into a living reality. Our “Get Your Money Right” Hip-Hop Summits are about helping young people empower themselves with the basic tools of financial empowerment.”

The Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment is a grassroots effort to help engage young people in discussions about the importance of personal finance. The “Get Your Money Right” agenda features an interactive panel discussion on financial literacy, including such topics as the basics of banking, repairing and understanding credit scores, asset and wealth management, vehicle financing and home ownership.

The Hip-Hop Summit on Financial Empowerment’s “Get Your Money Right” International Tour, now in its third successful year, brings together the powerful combination of hip-hop stars and Chrysler Financial experts to speak to students and community members about the importance of financial literacy.

The tour will utilize the “Get Your Money Right” workbook, produced and distributed by HSAN in both English and Spanish and given to all participants. The workbook is free and is also downloadable at http://www.hsan.org/.

Source:
Earth Times

Fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons, singer Joss Stone, Universal Records EVP and Motown Records President Sylvia Rhone and Executive Director of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Valeisha Butterfield are notable participants, which includes more than 80 influential women in the entertainment industry including corporate executives, recording artists and educators.

WEEN’s formal launch will be a special invitation-only “pink” carpet event, on Wednesday, September 19 at Bo Concept, an exclusive furniture store in Manhattan.  Entertainment and recording industry executives from across the nation are confirmed to attend. The launch event will kick-off the 12-month countdown to enroll one million women, creating a coalition of empowered women committed to action.

WEEN is a coalition of women, of all races and ages, committed to supporting, promoting and defending the positive, balanced portrayal of women in entertainment and in society.

The organization has also launched weenonline.org to develop and enroll membership.  WEEN will target corporate social responsibility, media and artist responsibility and community programs and outreach.

Source:
FMBQ