Hip Hop Sustains Where Hip Hop Culture Social Change Unite Print
Written by The Hip Hop Sustains Collective ID3663   
Thursday, 17 May 2007 05:30

 

Hip Hop Sustains – Where hip hop culture and social change unite by The Hip Hop Sustains Collective.

Dear Hip Hop Artists and Activists,

We are writing about a groundbreaking collaboration and opportunity for Urban Artists to participate in several arts events for the 2007 US Social Forum ,being held in Atlanta, GA June 26 – July 1. The purpose of this letter is to invite you to submit artistic work for consideration.

Hip Hop Sustains is a newly formed collective of young people of color organizations to bring conversations about environmental sustainability, social justice, and sustainable development to urban communities of color. We feel this conversation is critical because of the increasing rate of natural disaster and severe weather patterns as a direct result of global warming. The communities that feel the brunt of environmental and economic breakdown are poor people of color, in the United States and across the globe.

BLOC (Building Leadership Organizing Communities) is a national network of young organizers and activists working in communities of color as "alliance builders". BLOC brings young people into the youth movement as community workers, develops their political analysis and strategy, and supports them in staying healthy and continuing to fight for social justice

As practitioners and historians of hip hop know, the greatest ability of hip hop culture is to act as a sounding board to issues critical and vital to poor communities of color. The goal of this project is to harness this creative and inspirational aspect of the culture, (ability to ignite a generation and movement building) the ability to be a sounding board for youth of color to issues vital to the continued survival of our communities and culture.

To bridge dialogue between movement building, grassroots organizing, and the hip hop community we are developing several urban art events taking place in Atlanta, GA from Tuesday June 26 through June 30. We want to connect with artists to be featured during these events who identify as: MC’s, urban music, spoken word, DJ’s, b-boys/girls, and Graff / urban visual artists.

We are asking interest artists and promoters who are based in or near Atlanta, GA, or who will be attending the US Social Forum, to submit work in electronic form to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for consideration. Due to a lack of funding we cannot consider artists whose travel or accommodations would need to be paid. We ask that, when submitting work, artists be conscious of the nature of these events. The US Social Forum is being convened as the First Nationwide Gathering of major activist, grassroots, and community organizations with the potential to alter the face of the movement in the US. Because of this, derogatory material, or material demeaning or hateful to a specific gender, race, or sexual orientation is discouraged.

Your participation in these events will be the foundation for a larger nationwide collaboration of artists and activists in the Hip Hop movement. Any questions can be directed to Vanessa Nisperos at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or Terry Marshall at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sincerely,

The Hip Hop Sustains Collective

Find out more about The Hip Hop Sustains Collective at http://www.ussf2007.org/