Thug Life Army

Many in the hip-hop community are familiar with the name Cynthia McKinney, Georgia State Representative Cynthia McKinney; aka Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. She is well known by the many things she does not only for the hip-hop community but for her contributions in many areas.

Cynthia McKinney is a strong advocate, mentor and supporter of the Hip-Hop community. Her unique popularity among the members of the Hip-Hop generation and young people across the United States of America has made her a trusted voice on behalf of producers, retailers and consumers of Hip-Hop entertainment. She believes that the Hip-Hop community has the potential to evolve into one of the strongest movements on behalf of social justice and community development. Congresswoman McKinney is responsible for special outreach to the Hip Hop community and supports their efforts to run for office and become policymakers for today and tomorrow. She has also introduced the legislation for the current house bill. H.R. 4968, the Tupac Shakur Records Release Act, *(2Pac).

As we in the hip-hop culture get more involved in voting and understanding how government works, it is imperative to remember that those who we choose and send to represent us in government is important.

As grass root campaigns work toward their specific goals, it is good to know that there are some in government who will listen and notice the grass roots campaigns and not be afraid to voice their opinion.

Ms. McKinney once told me “Representation is a two-way street. It can only be done if there's dialogue with/by/in the community”… “you can help others see that leadership is really up to them. Not just a few icons nominated by the mainstream media. Leadership that will help the people must come from the people.”

So you can see it is important that we elect and support those who will listen to us and our ideas, thoughts and complaints. It is important to support those who understand and approach a leadership role responsibly.

The hip-hop community just doesn’t need to get involved on voting day, the hip-hop community needs to stay involved and that is how we make a difference.

From education to health care, to yes even hip-hop Cynthia McKinney does her best to see that ALL of us are represented and represented fairly.

Cynthia McKinney needs your help in returning to Congress. Primary Election Date is July 18, 2006. Please visit her site and support her with your vote or a campaign contribution.

For those who don’t know of Cynthia McKinney here is a little background. It is available on her web site at www.cynthiaforcongress.com and www.cynthia2006.com.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, Cynthia McKinney is the daughter of retired nurse, Leola McKinney and one of Atlanta's first Black law enforcement officers, former Georgia State Representative Billy McKinney.

Having strong academic achievement in Atlanta as a child, Cynthia went on to attend and study at the most prestigious academic institutions in the United States. She earned a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California, a Masters of Art in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and her mother keeps hoping that this is the year she will complete her Ph.D. Cynthia's debut into public office came in 1988 when she was elected to the Georgia State Legislature. In 1992, Cynthia made history when she became the first African American woman to represent Georgia in the United States House of Representatives.

THE BACKBONE OF GEORGIA

Because of her strong values, the people have confidence in her, making Cynthia a force to be reckoned with in Georgia politics today. Georgia's Democratic governors and senators have all called on her for support.

While in Congress, from 1993 - 2003, Cynthia worked hard for the people of Georgia, as she became known as the voice for the voiceless. She provided a seat at the table for people long left out of Georgia's political and economic mainstream. She supported candidates representing the people who had been politically marginalized. The result was more hope and more representation at the local level for black people and people of low wealth throughout the rural black belt of Georgia.

Cynthia successfully landed an "Enterprise Community" designation for her rural constituents and provided true empowerment for them through funding that continues today.

After a redistricting battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court, Cynthia was forced out of the district that first elected her to Congress. She has not, however, broken ties with her first constituents. She brought hundreds of millions of dollars back to her constituents and fought so that underrepresented communities could finally have sensitive representation at all levels of government. Her pioneering work on behalf of black farmers led to the United States Department of Agriculture admitting that it had, indeed, discriminated against black farmers for decades.

Today, Cynthia represents the eastern suburbs of Atlanta, including the City of Stone Mountain, made famous in Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech.

From Community Oriented Police to sound barriers along the interstate, from clean fuel public buses to constituent services, communities today are still benefiting from Cynthia's Congressional work. Her work in Congress continues her tradition of taking tough stands and fighting the good fight for justice and opportunity that she began during her tenure in the Georgia Legislature. Shortly after her election to the Georgia State House, she joined with other civil rights leaders and filed a lawsuit that led to an increased number of black judges in Georgia, including in DeKalb County. She filed a lawsuit against Georgia's infamous second primary, instituted for the purpose of black disfranchisement. Later, she was a victim of the state's open primary, enacted for the same purpose.

In 1990 she led the effort on the House Reapportionment Committee that created new State Senate districts across Georgia, including DeKalb County. Cynthia's willingness to stand with courage and conviction has resulted in increased opportunity that benefits us all today.

In 1991, Cynthia spoke on the floor of the Georgia House of Representatives against George Bush's bombing of Baghdad. Her colleagues walked out on her, prompting local and national press to compare her to former State Senator Julian Bond, current National Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), who was denied his seat in the Georgia State Senate because of his stand against the Vietnam War.

Because of her antiwar stance, Cynthia was approached by women civic leaders and asked to run for Congress. In 1992, the Year of the Woman, she did and we all won.

A PROVEN LEADER

During her tenure in the U.S. Congress, Cynthia McKinney became a household name in Georgia and in many states across America, as well as in many countries around the globe. Cynthia easily won recognition as an outspoken leader for human rights, an ardent advocate for peace, and a determined worker for justice.

Cynthia succeeded Colorado's Pat Schroeder and California's Ron Dellums on the House Armed Services Committee, with both of them supporting her nomination to that Committee. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Cynthia passed legislation to extend health benefits for Vietnam War veterans still suffering the health effects from exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange.

As reports now surface that our soldiers are returning from Iraq and testing positive for depleted uranium, it is important to note that Cynthia McKinney sponsored legislation to end the use of all depleted uranium weapons until their health effects are known. McKinney has reintroduced this bill in the 109th Congress.

Cynthia continues to vote against record Bush Administration Pentagon budgets and challenged the Pentagon to explain how it "lost" over $2.3 trillion in un-trackable transactions. She continues to decry the Pentagon's sweetheart deals with Halliburton, the Carlyle Group, and DynCorp and its successor companies.

Cynthia speaks out against the loss of our fundamental freedoms during Bush Administration prosecution of the War on Terrorism and reminds Committee members of the well-known and documented abuses during the COINTELPRO era.

Cynthia helped Department of Defense and Department of Energy workers who suffered exposure to nuclear material and she also spoke out for families that lived around these sites. Cynthia worked with the Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee to strengthen money in the budget for homeless veterans and to protect the Atlanta Regional Veterans Affairs Hospital located in the 4th District. Many overlooked veterans were able to get their medals because of the work Cynthia did this to make sure that all veterans were recognized for the sacrifices they made.

Cynthia also served on the House International Relations Committee for 10 years where she was the highest-ranking Democrat on the Human Rights Subcommittee. Cynthia made the time to help those in need who had a human rights claim. Cynthia felt that it was important that US policy reflect a deep respect for human rights. So she worked tirelessly on legislation to stop conventional weapons transfers to governments that are undemocratic or fail to respect human rights. Her legislation to end the mining of coltan in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was mentioned in a United Nations special report. Almost single-handedly, she forced the United Nations to convene an independent commission on the Rwanda genocide and the role of the US and the UN in failing to stop Africa's most horrific genocide.

Cynthia hosted the first delegation of Afro-Latinos from Central and South America and worked with the World Bank and the U.S. State Department to recognize Afro-Latinos. She stood with Aboriginals against Australian mining companies; and with the U''wa people of Colombia in their fight to save their sacred land from oil rigs. She stood with poor Georgia farmers, black and white, against South African mining companies operating in the US. During her tenure on the House International Relations Committee, Cynthia recognized others who championed peace and nominated President Jaochim Chissano, President of Mozambique, for the Nobel Peace Prize and he made it to the final group. In her final Congressional act, she nominated Juan Carreras for the same honor, for his work to bring peace to Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region of Africa. Today, Cynthia continues to work with Carreras to bring justice to the dead in one of Africa's most horrific moments.

Cynthia had also begun to focus on COINTELPRO and Hip Hop empowerment. Cynthia held three Hip Hop Powershops featuring Kevin Powell, Afeni Shakur, Li''l Zane, and media executives.

She also held two COINTELPRO hearings: one on US Political Prisoners, the other on the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cynthia used her positions of influence on both the House Armed Services Committee and the House International Relations Committee to apply international human rights standards to US conduct at home and abroad.

CYNTHIA STANDS WITH COURAGE

Cynthia was tapped by the Congressional Black Caucus to lead its effort on the Durban World Conference Against Racism. With her leadership, the Congressional Black Caucus spoke on this United Nations effort and at this important event, never once compromising on the rights of all peoples to come together and express their pain and suffering and ways to end it. Cynthia was unwilling to be silenced in the face of injustice.

Despite all her efforts on behalf of the poor and dispossessed, in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and in the United States, Cynthia learned from news reports that AIPAC, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, had targeted her for defeat. Cynthia never lost her courage and refused to compromise her strong American values. However, when Cynthia McKinney became one of the first Members of Congress to demand a thorough investigation into the events of September 11, 2001 and responsibly asked the question, "What did the Administration know and when did it know it about the events of September 11th?" she was vilified and targeted by Georgia and national Republicans. As a result of her thought-provoking question, an estimated 40,000 Republicans voted in the Democratic Primary to oust Cynthia. It is called "crossover" voting and her supporters filed a lawsuit against this practice so that no voice of the people like Cynthia's would ever be silenced again in such an unfair electoral practice.

Currently, Mississippi Democrats have an active lawsuit against Mississippi's open primary statute. Georgians will look at this lawsuit with much interest to revive their own if it is successful.

Cynthia was invited to Mumbai, India to speak at the World Social Forum. She has spoken all over the United States and in Germany, France, Italy, Jamaica, and many places all over the world because she is nationally and internationally recognized for her tireless voice on behalf of justice in the United States. We need her voice again in the United States Congress.

Cynthia McKinney is an independent thinker. Cynthia is running to retain her seat in Congress and you can count on her because she is not beholden to any special interests -- just the people.

Come on in!!! Please visit

www.cynthiaforcongress.com and www.cynthia2006.com will get you into our site.

*For Tupac (2Pac) fans, visit http://www.thuglifearmy.com/news/?id=2214 to see Rep. Cynthia McKinney's Tupac Shakur Legislative Primer and find out about the bill that would require the National Archives to establish a “Tupac Amaru Shakur Records Collection.” (2Pac).