| 'Make Hip Hop Not War' National Tour Announced |
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| Written by Robert ID3455 |
| Sunday, 18 March 2007 08:43 |
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The ‘Make Hip Hop Not War’ National Tour has been announced. Members of Congress, Hip Hop Celebrities and tour organizers announce an anti-war tour meant to mobilize young people to action. The ‘Make Hip Hop Not War’ National Tour will hit 15 cities around the U.S. from March 24th to April 24th. The "Make Hip Hop Not War" National Tour will hold events in 15 cities around the country. The tour is designed to galvanize young people on college campuses and in urban communities to call for an immediate end to the war in Iraq. Hip Hop artists, peace activists, Iraq veterans, national leaders and Members of Congress will speak and make appearances at various tour stops. This tour has emerged as a major moment for the peace movement. The disproportionate impact of war and war spending on communities of color will be a theme of the tour in an attempt to make it a central discussion within the peace movement and among legislators. "To end this war, we have to bring new energy and new voices to the forefront," said Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President of the Hip Hop Caucus. "The ''Make Hip Hop Not War'' Tour will begin to show the true political power of our Hip Hop communities and of our young people. It is time for young African-American and Latino leaders in this country to establish a stronger, more unified voice in the movement to end the war in Iraq." The structure of the tour will include rallies, Hip Hop town hall meetings, and community stops at locales such as basketball courts and shopping malls. Each event will sponsor speakers that will educate audiences on the situation in Iraq and anti-war legislation. The tour will connect students and young community organizers with veteran activists, community leaders and representatives from the anti-war struggles of the 20th century and create a new network of young people, primarily from low-income communities and communities of color, to respond to Calls to Action against war and nuclear proliferation. The tour is being organized by the Hip Hop Caucus, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition. Tour Schedule: 3/21/2007 – Capitol Hill, Washington , DC (Press Conference) 11:30am Capitol Hill, Rayburn House Office Building Room 2456 3/24/2007 – New York, New York 7:00pm – 10:00pm, Doors @ 6:00pm West-Park Presbyterian Church (165 West 86th St. at Amsterdam Ave.) 3/27/2007 - Greensboro , North Carolina (North Carolina A&T State University) 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Doors @ 7:00pm Barnes Hall Auditorium (North Carolina A&T Campus 1601 East Market St.) 3/29/2007 – Orangeburg, South Carolina ( South Carolina State) 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Doors @ 6:30pm Fine Arts Building Auditorium (South Carolina State Campus 300 College St., NE) 4/1/2007 – Atlanta, Georgia (Morehouse and Spellman College) Time and Location TBD 4/4/2007 – Memphis, Tennessee ( University of Memphis) Time and Location TBD 4/7/2007 & 4/8/2007 – Crawford, Texas ( Camp Casey) 4/7: Concert @ Camp Casey with Cindy Sheehan 2:00pm – 4:00pm 4/8: Easter Ecumenical Service 7:00am – 8:00am 4/9/2007 – Tucson, Arizona Time and Location TBD 4/10/2007 – Los Angeles, California Time and Location TBD 4/11/2007 – Berkeley, California ( University of California, Berkeley) 12:00pm – 2:00pm Sproul Plaza ( University of California Campus, 2200 University Ave. ) 4/14/2007 – Cedar Falls, Iowa (Northern Iowa University) An all day event in conjunction with the Step It Up! National Day of Action 1:00pm – 8:00pm Overman Park ( 2nd St. at Franklin St .) 4/17/2007 – Chicago, Illinois Time and Location TBD 4/18/2007 – South Bend, Indiana ( University of Notre Dame) 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Doors @ 6:30pm Washington Hall (University of Notre Dame Campus) 4/20/2007 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 7:00pm – 10:00pm, Doors @ 6:00pm Monumental Baptist Church (2240 Wylie Ave.) 4/21/2007 – Boston, Massachusetts Time and Location TBD 4/24/2007 – Baltimore, Maryland Time and Location TBD Featured Artists on the tour: Papoose Killer Mike A Alikes Akir Hasan Salaam Son of Nun Bedouin DJ Chela Will B Head-Roc La Paz Myself ReadNex Poetry Squad and others… Featured Speakers on the tour: Elaine Johnson, mother of Army Spc. Darius Jennings, 22 years old, who was killed in Iraq on November 2, 2003 when the Chinook helicopter he was aboard was shot down by Iraqi insurgents Carlos Arrendondo , father of Marine Lance Corporal Alexander Arrendondo, 20 years old, who was killed in An Najaf , Iraq during his second tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom on August 25, 2004 . Cindy Sheehan, established Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas and mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Iraq. Tina Richards, mother of Corporal Cloy Richards, United States Marine Corps, who has served two tours in Iraq . Rosa Clemente, a national leader and activist in the Hip Hop community. Jim Hightower, national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and Iraq war critic. Malia Lazu, a national leader and activist in the Hip Hop community. Nicole Lee, Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum and a member of the Hip Hop generation. Sun sara Taylor, representing the World Can''t Wait Steve Cobble, an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, who focuses on antiwar work and voting rights issues. Phyllis Bennis , a writer, analyst and activist on Middle East and UN issues and a Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., President of the Hip Hop Caucus, as MC Participating Members of Congress: Congressman Raúl Grijalva Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Out of Iraq Caucus Chair Congressman Steve Cohen Congressman John Lewis For more information contact, Liz Havstad, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202.787.5256/510.206.6749 cell Liz Havstad Chief of Staff, Hip Hop Caucus 1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 202.787.5256 office 510.206.6749 cell 202.387.7915 fax |