Break Bread at the 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention: Seizing the Time for a Better Tomorrow

I am patiently waiting for my flight to depart at the airport. Where am I going, you may ask? I am the official Rock the Vote/Wiretap magazine correspondent for the third Bi-Annual National Hip Hop Political Convention (NHHPC) taking place in Las Vegas this week. The excitement is building across the country as the Hip Hop generation gears up for the another round of community-building, forward-thinking discussions, provocative panels, informative workshops, as well as showcases and celebrations of the diverse talent and power of the Hip Hop community.

So who makes up the national Hip Hop community you ask? Combine artists, social justice advocates, activists, sprinkle in some music-lovers, community organizers, college students, scholars, add some journalists, backpackers, historians, and insert movers and shakers, interested spectators, heat up and stir. It’s the remix of the “Melting Pot.” Think fondue. Fondue isn’t very Hip Hop, but follow me here. Everyone brings the ingredients to the table to contribute to the luscious pool of ideas. They coagulate to form the national Hip Hop political agenda. The key idea here is that everyone maintains their individuality and uniqueness and only takes from the pot what they need or can share with others. This is a community meal where everyone gets a sample of everything, and only takes what they need. Everyone will convene at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to break bread, engage in defining this agenda and continue building for the future.

Look out for my upcoming coverage, as well as my interview with Rosa Clemente, co-founder of the NHHPC in 2004, and the Green Party’s 2008 VP running mate of Cynthia McKinney. As an incredibly powerful woman and Hip Hop activist, Clemente is incorporating the voice of the Hip Hop community in her candidacy. Seriously, when you call her cell phone, she concludes her voicemail message with “Hip Hop for President.”

Stay tuned. Throughout the duration of the conference, I will be speaking with any number of participants, the NHHPC’s National Partners, Regional Allies, Participating Organizations and Conference Presenters.

Check out Rosa's speech that I saw on June 7, 2008, at the 2008 National Media Reform Conference in my hometown Minneapolis: