From the DNC/RNC: It's Bigger Than Hip Hop

After basking in the heated activity (and 100+ degree weather) of the third bi-annual 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention in Las Vegas, I touched down back in the Sota and read my notes, processed through pictures and got down with of some of the most critical and thoughtful recaps and reflections:

Trials of a Hip Hop Educator: My Reflections on the 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention

A Message to the Hip Hop Grassroots from Former Political Prisoner and Black Panther Dhoruba Bin-Wahad

Hip Hop and Academia: Where Do We Go From Here?

Hip Hop & Electoral Politics: Are Hip Hop Organizations Wasting Their Time Or Are They Effective?

Anything is Possible An Interview with Cynthia McKinney

Movement or Fan Club?

The Green Party VP Candidate: “The Hip Hop Party Has To Go Green”

After ciphering and breaking bread with some of the most engaged solders (actually doing real work in the community) and greatest minds of our time, I walked away with more clarity about the importance of young people being politically engaged and the Hip Hop community’s power in this election. We all have a great responsibility. At the very least, we all have a responsibility to vote. More importantly, we MUST be politically active and engaged at the local level in our own ways.

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a professor of American Studies at Temple University, and political analyst for FOX News, passionately speaks about the war on young people, such as the law in Flint, Michigan aiming to make sagging pants illegal, and the crucial role that young people are playing in this election. I asked him what young people can be doing right now to make a difference and to stay engaged. He quickly responds, (and if you have ever seen him on FOX News, he is quick with it!) “Whether it’s going to a school board meting, or maybe joining the school board, going into the schools to see what’s going on…demand something locally!…We have to do this work before and after the election.”

So what about Hip Hop? The question has been asked before, but really, can the Hip Hop Generation make a difference in 2008?

The energy, enthusiasm and presence of the Hip Hop community in and around electoral politics will undoubtedly be carried over to both of the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions in the next few weeks. At the DNC in Denver, N*E*R*D will be playing at Rock the Vote’s own Ballot Bash, Boots Riley of the Coup will be firing up the campers at Tent State, the Blue Scholars of Seattle will be throwing down at Cuernavaca Park, and will.i.am will again be showing his support for Obama. At the RNC in St. Paul, Dead Prez, NAS, GZA, Mos Def, Rage Against the Machine, and the hometown talent of Atmosphere, I Self Devine, Tru Ruts, DJ K-Salaam and Indigo will put it down for the underground. Last but not least, Hip Hop activist Rosa Clemente, will be at both conventions, talking her incredible talk, but sure as hell walking the walk.

Of course, throwing a fist in the air, speaking of the revolution, and throwing on that revolutionary t-shirt is simply not enough. The Hip Hop community must hold itself accountable for its actions, just as we must hold elected officials accountable. We all have a huge responsibility in this election to make a difference- that responsibility is bigger than electoral politics, and it's bigger than Hip Hop. It's about action.

What are you doing in your community to create change? What are you doing to encourage sustainable engagement and provide tools for real change after November 4, 2008? I hope you are not putting all of your hope in one man, thinking that change will come overnight. Politics is not only a game, it is a process. It takes time, effort and alot of action on the ground at the grassroots level. So the next time you hear "Yes We Can" or "Si Se Puede," think about what you can be doing right now to make that change real.



Dead Prez asks us:

"You would rather have a Lexus or justice, a dream or some substance? A beamer, a necklace or freedom?"

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:

Finding My Voice 1: What's good in the hood?

You may be wondering, Who is this B FRESH girl? and What will she be covering? Let me start with a few basics: First, the most crucial factor in my reporting with Rock the Vote is that I will cover issues, people, organizations, movements and perspectives that other journalists may be afraid to call out and dive into. They must be preoccupied by the glitz and glamour of the shiny, sexy stories. Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes enjoy a glamorously sexy story but I will not be sidetracked by the bling.

Second, I am passionate about talking to YOU, following YOU around and learning YOUR story- the real story. Third, I recognize the power of our generation to sway elections, alter perceptions, shift paradigms, and put an eraser to the negativity that we have endured. We can make a difference, and demand our voices be heard.

I want you to join in and demand that media no longer demonize, criminalize and misrepresent youth. Whether it be talking with your friends about issues that your community faces and how you can create change, joining in at a local rally, or simply sending a text message to a friend to let them know what the deal is, stay active and engaged.

I will thoughtfully examine heavily covered issues such as police brutality and gang violence, but not in the way you might expect. Looking back, I have lived all of my life in the city, love the hood that has nurtured me, and respect the people I have had the privilege to learn from.

I am witness to the deception game the media has played and want to share a slice of the gritty and beautiful truth through my pen and lens. When I bring you stories about police brutality and they will be through the eyes of those who live within the aftershock of Monday’s year-to-date murder statistic headline, daily.
I will report about how youth are responding, and what is being done in our communities to address the root causes. When I highlight the lives of young people in gangs who may be hangin’ on the corner sellin’ dope, I will explore dreams, aspirations, and the systematic and institutional sources of injustice, racism, sexism, classism etc.

I look forward to covering the hottest shows and sharing interviews with local and national celebrities on the issues young people care about. I will be reporting live from the 2008 National Hop Hop Political Convention, the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, as well as other fresh events. I am excited to share with you exclusive photos and video that will shine a ray of positivity on this drab parade.

So, I leave you with a few questions to ponder: Do you want to hear about what soldiers are doing after returning from overseas, about the dopest youth organizations making things happen, and politicians that really care about what you have to say? Then stay tuned, and keep an eye out for my convention music videos...