Russell Simmons is the chairman and CEO of one of the world's largest corporations, Rush Communications. The corporation receives revenue from a clothing line, Phat Farm & Baby Phat (ran by Kimora Lee Simmons, Russell's wife), record company (Def Jam Records), movie production company (Def Films), television shows (Def Poetry and Def Comedy Jam), a beverage company (Russell Simmons beverage company, with new drink DEFCON 3), a magazine (Oneworld), and a pre-paid debit card (Rush Debit Card).
Simmons is an avid community activist. He founded the Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN), in which he appointed Dr. Ben Chavis (Dr. Ben as he prefers to be called) to be the President and CEO of the oragnization.
From 1992 to 1994, Dr. Chavis was the executive director of the NAACP. He was once an ordained minister until he said, "God led him to the mosque" and the islamic faith. Dr. Chavis, is a highly respected community activist for people across the country.
HSAN is an organization "dedicated to harnessing the cultural relevance of Hip Hop music to serve as a catalyst for education, advocacy and other special societal concerns fundamental to the well being of at-risk youth throughout the Unites States." HSAN is a "non-profit, non-partisan national coalition of Hip Hop artists, entertainment industry leaders, educational advocates, civil rights proponents, and youth leaders united in the belief that Hip Hop is an enormously influential agent for social change, which must be responsible and proactively utilized to fight the war on poverty and injustice."
On Aug. 14, at Temple University's Liacouras Center, Simmons and Dr. Chavis held Philadelphia's first Hip Hop Summit. The summit was targeted to young non-registered voters in hopes of registering them. Simmon's said, "we are encouraging millions of young people to vote and to become active in helping to transform American society." Dr. Chavis added, "one goal was to register the youth to vote, the other was to give them encouragement through our panel discussion about youth empowerment and leadership development, and political empowerment as well as economic empowerment."
To attend the summit, only youth who had registered to vote by the summit date could be there. The summit enticed the youth by having some of the most influential Hip Hop artists and the like in the house. Clear Channel's, Power 99 FM and WDAS 105.3 FM and Clear Channel Entertainment sponsored the summit.
The motto of the summit was, The Power and Unity of the Street. The summit had panels consisting of hip hop artists, who discussed the issues that Dr. Chavis had recalled.
The entertainers, who served as panelists included: Swizz Beatz, Black Ice (as seen on Def Poetry), Boys II Men (Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman), Cam'ron, Cherub, Damon Dash (CEO of Roc-A-Fella records, who was awarded the National Outstanding Achievement award), Dead Prez, Freeway, Doug E. Fresh (MC'd the summit), L.L. Cool J, Floetry, Ms. Jade, Wyclef (who was awarded the National Heroes award), DJ Jazzy Jeff, Musiq, Dr. Rachel Ross, Redman, Reverend Run, Juelz Santana, Will Smith Sr.(who accepted the Lifetime Achievement award, for his son Will Smith Jr.) and the Mayor of Philadelphia, John F. Street.
Mayor Street acknowledged the potential of the movement saying, "Hip Hop can be a transformative source in this country, to make politics more responsive to everyday people."
Dr. Chavis, concluded the summit by telling the youth, "we have to understand that registering and casting a vote is only a part of a continuous process, that even after you vote you can't just lie back, you have to stay active. The youth and people in general, have to hold the politicians accountable and they have to communicate with them. Being political is not just a one day event, but one that is life-long."
For more info, visit: www.hiphopsummitactionnetwork.org |
