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. (more…)

The United Nations has launched a trust fund to build a permanent memorial for victims of slavery, and appointed entrepreneur and hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons as a Goodwill Ambassador to promote the project.

A 2007 General Assembly resolution designated 25 March as an annual day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and called for a permanent memorial to be erected at UN Headquarters to acknowledge the tragedy and consider the legacy of slavery. (more…)

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. (more…)

This is the trailer for “Lockdown, USA,” a feature documentary that chronicles Russell Simmons’ campaign to reform the Rockefeller Drug Laws, the controversial New York State laws created in 1973 that became the foundation to America’s War on Drugs.

Young people today who have embraced hip-hop as a culture might help to decide the outcome of the next presidential election. When it became clear that both parties had presumptive nominees, the Hip-hop Summit Action Network (a New York based non-profit) launched Voteforit!08, a non-partisan online video campaign to help draw young Hip-hop fans of voting age into the voting booths. The news public service announcement, which features Doug E. Fresh, George Lucas, and R&B chart-topper, Ciara, was uploaded onto YouTube in July.

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. (more…)

Hip hop has entered the housing crisis. In a news press conference held today in New York, members of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN), including hip-hop pioneer and network cofounder Russell Simmons, announced a joint initiative called “Get Your House Right!” to provide solutions to the mortgage and foreclosure crisis for young Americans. Russell announced the initiative with HSAN Cofounder, President and CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis and Valeisha Butterfield, HSAN executive director.

“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. (more…)

Everybody’s gearing up for this year’s presidential election, especially when it comes down to the youth vote. People seem extremely enthusiastic, including iconic figures such as Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J and many more, who just launched their VOTE FOR IT 08! PSA announcement on Youtube.

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. (more…)

The Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund, PowerPAC and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network announced today the launch of an unprecedented, focused national campaign to mobilize the hip-hop generation of youth voters to ensure the largest youth voter turnout in American history on November 4, 2008.

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. (more…)

NYC governor Eliot Spitzer responded Wednesday to some very heated language used by hip hop mogul Russell Simmons to describe his stance on the Rockefeller drug laws. Speaking out on NY1’s “Inside City Hall” Tuesday, Simmons said Spitzer is failing to live up to promises to reform the state’s strict drug laws.  

“I’m very disappointed in the governor. I should say that the hip hop is getting ready to get in his ass,” Russell Simmons said on Tuesday night’s “Inside City Hall.” (more…)

Russell Simmons has been pushing young people to vote, but for a while there, it was looking as if the music industry heavyweight would have trouble casting his own ballot. Not anymore.

The hip-hop mogul said Sunday he is endorsing Barack Obama for president, inspired by the diversity among the Illinois senator’s supporters. Obama has built an unprecedented national movement of people from all ethnic, racial, political, social and economic backgrounds, Simmons said in a news release. (more…)