Images by Estria for Visual Element and Tumi's
"Hip-hop activism" is a term coined by the pioneering hip-hop intellectual and journalist Harry Allen. The term, he says, meant to show that hip-hop culture could both reflect a social critique and become a unifying force to enact change.
The idea of hip-hop activism has since been embraced by young organizers, thinkers, cultural workers and activists to describe their generation's emerging work for social justice.
It describes a broad range of social change practices, including youth organizing, cultural work, arts education, popular education, intercultural exchanges, youth development, and celebrity projects and events.
Above all, hip-hop activism is a frame to understand the hip-hop generation's reaction to their world, and their desire to create alternative spaces for cultural development and progressive social change.
If you're interested in more history and background hip-hop activism, check out , the Future 500 website, or download this report.
Check back here and the blog for news, updates and links on hip-hop generation activism or join the Can't Stop Won't Stop email list to receive notifications or Jeff's irregular editorials and articles.
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Constant Elevation: The Rise of Bay Area Hip-Hop Activism
This is a report put together to describe the emerging field of hip-hop activism, with a special spotlight on the Bay Area's hip-hop activism, which features some of the most innovative and sophisticated programs in the country. If you're interested in finding out more generally about hip-hop activism, download a PDF of the report here.
Hip-Hop Politics,
The Politics of Hip-Hop
Here are some of Jeff's recent articles on emerging hip-hop activism:
The Hip-Hop Generation and The Vote
2004 saw unprecedented organizing efforts to target the hip-hop generation's vote. What did they mean and what kind of impact will they have? Click here to go to the article in the San Jose Metro.
Setting A Hip-Hop Agenda
After helping to organize the National Hip-Hop Political Convention in the summer of 2004, Jeff returned to report on what really went down there. Click here to go the article on Alternet.
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Take Action!
For the most comprehensive list of hip-hop activist and social justice youth organizations, check out the Future 5000 project.
Here are a number of community and hip-hop activist organizations that are redefining progressive politics. Please check out their work and support them.
+ 21st century youth leadership movement
+ aaldef
+ applied research center
+ asian law caucus
+ bloc network
+ caaav:organizing asian american communities
+ center for third world organizing
+ center on juvenile and criminal justice
+ chinatown collective for community action
+ drum:desis rising up and moving
+ ella baker center for human rights
+ future of music coalition
+ h2ed hip-hop education network
+ homies unidos
+ league of independent voters
+ media alliance
+ moveon.org
+ movement strategy center
+ national hip-hop political convention
+ prison moratorium project
+ schools not jails
+ sentencing project
+ sista2sista
+ urban think tank
Got a link to add? Email us here.
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