Category: Press

Cultural influencers and political leaders including Claudia Jordan, Kenny Burns, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Akio Evans, and PINKYTHARAPPER took part in the action 

WASHINGTON – Hip Hop Caucus, a national non-partisan, nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of hip-hop culture to advance civil and human rights honored its 20th anniversary this September with celebratory events across Washington, D.C. These events recognized the growth and accomplishments of Hip Hop Caucus as a leading institution fighting for racial, climate and economic justice, and celebrated the political and cultural impact of hip-hop. 

On Wednesday, September 11, the celebration started where it all began 20 years ago at Howard University with a full day of events, including a town hall, reception, Respect My Vote! GOTV block party, and music performances. At the town hall, Howard University students and the surrounding community participated in discussions, moderated by Howard University Student Association’s Government Affairs and Policy Director Nikkya Taliaferro, about Hip Hop Caucus’ journey and the critical issues at stake this election cycle with Hip Hop Caucus Board Member and Howard University Hospital President Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., Hip Hop Caucus Board Member and Entertainment Law Attorney Lita Rosario-Richardson, Executive Vice President at the National Wildlife Federation and Former Hip Hop Caucus Senior Vice President Mustafa Santiago Ali, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Hip Hop Museum Rocky Bucano, Creative Director, Filmmaker and Shoe Muralist Akio Evans, Recording Artist, Writer and Activist T.O.N.E., Howard University senior and men’s basketball player Bryce Harris, and Howard University junior and president of the Howard University Water and Environment Association Hailey Morris. 

Following the town hall, Hip Hop Caucus held a Respect My Vote! GOTV block party outside the Blackburn Center at Howard University with music from DJ Akademiks (WPGC-FM 95.5), free giveaways, and voter registration information. Hip Hop Caucus capped off the day with a 20th anniversary concert featuring music performances by PINKYTHARAPPER, Alantra, June, Liyala, and Eleven Tha Outcast. 

“We are honored to celebrate our 20-year anniversary on the historic campus of Howard University where Hip Hop Caucus launched and first began bringing young people and artists into the political process,” said Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Rev Yearwood Jr. “HIp Hop Caucus has grown tremendously as an institution and accomplished so much since then. In this election year, our work is more important than ever. We remain committed to ensuring that our youth and cultural leaders are informed, are using their reach to inform others, and are taking part in the democratic process.” 

On Friday, September 13, Hip Hop Caucus made its way to the Congressional Black Caucus’ 53rd Annual Legislative Conference, where Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Rev Yearwood Jr. joined GANGGANG Co-Founder and President Alan Bacon, Celebrity Host and Political Activist Claudia Jordan, Amazon Music’s Head of Hip-Hop & R&B Sierra Lever, and AllHipHop.com CEO Chuck Creekmur for the Hip Hop & Politics panel with moderator Cameron Trimble of Hip Politics. 

Following the panel, Rev Yearwood Jr. and GRAMMY-nominated recording artist and activist Antonique Smith launched Climate Revival with a live Climate Conversations and Gospel concert featuring Rise St. James President and TIME 100 Award recipient Sharon Lavigne, Vessel Project of Louisiana Founder Roishetta Ozane, Filmmaker Maya Penn, United States Representative Justin Pearson (D-TN), and Tony and GRAMMY-award winner Leslie Odom Jr. Climate Revival aims to mobilize communities of faith and people of color to engage in climate and environmental justice issues. .

To cap off the week of celebrations, Hip Hop Caucus and radio personality Kenny Burns hosted an unforgettable party at The Park at 14th bringing together the D.C. community, including members of Congress, Congressional staffers, artists, influencers, and D.C. residents.

Hip Hop Caucus is proud to celebrate 20 years of service, education, influence, and impact. To learn more about Hip Hop Caucus, visit www.hiphopcaucus.org. 

Hip Hop Caucus’ 20th Anniversary Celebrations

Event Photos

Photo Credit: Hip Hop Caucus 

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About Hip Hop Caucus

Formed in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, HHC addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.

The two-day commemoration events united the New Orleans Community, uplifted spirits and demanded climate justice on the 19th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS — Hip Hop Caucus and New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation honored the 19th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with a special press conference and hosted the 19th Annual Hurricane Katrina March and Second Line on August 29 and August 31, respectively. The commemoration saw hip-hop artists, government officials, and New Orleans activists gather together in remembrance of Hurricane Katrina to demand better environmental protections, and to celebrate the perseverance of the New Orleans community. 

The press conference, which was held at Louisiana State Representative Alonzo Knox’s office on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina made a public call to establish the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina as a state and local holiday. Speakers included Hip Hop Caucus’ Artist Relations Director and Cultural Producer Dawn Richard, New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation Founder and Rapper Sess 4-5, U.S. Representative Alonzo L. Knox, New Orleans City Councilmember Oliver E. Thomas, New Orleans City Councilmember Eugene J. Green, Rapper Mia X, Community Advocate Jordan Bridges, 9th Ward Resident Robert Green, and Poet Sunni Patterson. 

Hip Hop Caucus’ Artist Relations Director and Cultural Producer and New Orleans native Dawn Richard powerfully remarked, “It was a day of extreme loss, me losing my grandfather, me losing my family dynamic…[Hurricane Katrina] was one of the many events that showed our city and state we have to fight for climate justice.”

This year’s annual Hurricane Katrina March started in the Lower 9th Ward next to the breached levee with a touching and harmonious healing ceremony filled with prayers from Members of the Congo Kids and the Guardians of the Flame Maroon Society with over 100 people in attendance. Following the ceremony, attendees proceeded with the march through the streets where they then fed into a large Second Line and finished at Hunter’s Field with music performances hosted by Wild Wayne. 

At the Hunter’s Field, the New Orleans Community celebrated community resiliency and highlighted the continued support needed for those who are still impacted by Hurricane Katrina with personal stories and performances from Sess 4-5, GeWiz, Jordan Michael, 7Teen, T99zy, Ricky B, PopOut, Money Mike Bo, Tonya Boyd Cannon, Lady Red, Ms. Tee, Flagboy Giz and the Ghetto Twinz.

Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Rev Yearwood Jr. implored leaders to take action and mitigate the effects of climate disasters. He passionately emphasized the importance of participating in the upcoming election and demanded better protections against the environmental effects of petrochemicals, which intensify the threat of climate change and disproportionately affect Black, Brown and underprivileged communities along the Gulf Coast.

This event was also the first stop of the Hip Hop Caucus’ Respect My Vote! Tour which is aimed at educating, registering and mobilizing voters of color. Respect My Vote! launched as a Hip Hop Caucus campaign in 2008 and is the largest and longest running non-partisan, hip-hop voter mobilization campaign.

About Hip Hop Caucus 

Formed in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, HHC addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.

New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation

New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation annually organizes the largest community-led remembrance event on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, August 29th.

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WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Associate Senior Director of Think 100% Jasmine Gil issued the following statement in response to the Louisiana federal court ruling permanently blocking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice from enforcing disparate impact regulations in the state under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act:

“The recent ruling by Judge James Cain is a devastating blow to environmental justice in Louisiana, particularly for Black and Brown communities who have long suffered at the hand of industrial pollution in ‘Cancer Alley.’ By blocking the EPA from enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, this decision strips away critical protections that were designed to ensure that all people have the right to clean air, water, and a safe environment and emboldens polluters to continue systemically poisoning marginalized communities.

The court’s ruling creates a dangerous precedent by artificially separating disparate impact from intentional discrimination. In reality, systemic inequalities and disproportionate harm to minority communities often stem from deeply rooted biases, even when not explicitly stated. By requiring proof of overt discriminatory intent, the court ignores the subtle yet pervasive ways racism manifests in policy and practice.The stark disparities in environmental harm faced by Black communities in ‘Cancer Alley’ didn’t arise by chance — they are the result of decades of decisions that consistently prioritized industrial interests over the health and wellbeing of minority residents. To dismiss this pattern of disparate impact is to turn a blind eye to the very real and intentional choices that created and perpetuate these injustices.

We must recognize that impact and intent are inextricably linked. When policies consistently produce racially disparate outcomes, it reveals an underlying system of discrimination that demands scrutiny and remedy. By stripping away the EPA’s ability to address disparate impact, this ruling effectively sanctions the continuation of environmental racism, whether overt or covert.

Hip Hop Caucus stands with the people of Louisiana and calls on leaders at all levels to recognize the gravity of this decision and to take urgent action to protect those most vulnerable. Environmental justice is not just a legal issue — it’s a moral imperative. We will not rest until all communities are granted the protections they deserve under the law.”  

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Featuring GRAMMY-nominated Artists, Leading Advocates, and Industry Innovators in support of the ‘Respect My Vote!’ Campaign

See the Artivist Class of 2024 here.

WASHINGTON — Hip Hop Caucus, the national nonprofit organization at the intersection of art, activism, and hip hop culture, is proud to announce the launch of the ‘Artivist Class of 2024.’ This inaugural cohort of visionary artists and advocates comes together to bolster this year’s ‘Respect My Vote!’ campaign, the largest and longest-running hip-hop voter mobilization effort. 

For two decades, Hip Hop Caucus has been at the forefront of harnessing the power of hip hop culture to drive social change, dismantle oppressive systems, and protect human rights. The ‘Artivist Class of 2024’ embodies this mission, featuring cultural leaders like GRAMMY-nominated recording artist Tank from Tank and the Bangas, acclaimed actress and transgender rights advocate Angelica Ross from FX’s American Horror Story and Pose, and Ryan Butler, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Recording Academy. 

Central to the campaign’s launch was a dynamic and immersive photoshoot and video production. The shoot, masterfully captured by Hip Hop Caucus’ Digital, Production and Artist and Influencer Relations teams – JaRel Clay, Dawn Richard, Antonio Hernandez and photographer Yasmin Antonio – brought together this diverse class of artists, all dedicated to using their platforms to champion social justice and inspire change through their work. 

“The Respect My Vote! Artivist Class of 2024 photo shoot by Hip Hop Caucus is a powerful testament to the critical role that artivists play in issue advocacy and shaping our political landscape,” emphasized Dawn Richard, Hip Hop Caucus’ Artist Relations Director and organizer of the shoot. “This moment is especially significant because it underscores the urgent need for diverse voices and creative expressions in the electoral process. Artivists—artists who merge activism with their craft—possess a unique ability to mobilize, inspire, and engage communities in ways that traditional political campaigns often cannot. Through their compelling visuals and potent messages, they illuminate pressing social issues, galvanize voter turnout, and challenge systemic injustices. This campaign not only celebrates their influence but also serves as a clarion call for increased participation and representation in getting out the vote.”

The shoot captured visionaries such as: 

• Angelica Ross, actress and transgender rights advocate
• Durand Bernarr, recording artist
• Tank from ‘Tank and the Bangas,’ GRAMMY-nominated recording artist
• Antonique Smith, GRAMMY-nominated recording artist
• Ryan Butler, GRAMMY-nominated recording artist and The Recording Academy’s Vice President of DEI
• Zebretta Johnson, three-time Emmy Award-winning choreographer and professional dancer
• Erin Jordan, Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Paramount Pictures
• Samata Pattinson, writer and sustainability consultant
• Saint Elgin, recording artist
• Andre Perry, photographer and director
• Megumi Nakazawa, painter
• Big Wind Carpenter, queer Indigenous organizer, artist & abolitionist

The artists’ portraits and video interviews will be released as a part of a multimedia campaign to engage and inspire communities across the nation. By harnessing the power of art, the campaign aims to drive voter participation and raise awareness of critical social issues impacting marginalized communities across the nation. 

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About Hip Hop Caucus

Formed in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, HHC addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.

WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Associate Director of Respect My Vote! Chris Walton issued the following statement in response to the unprecedented incidents and dynamics impacting the 2024 election cycle:

“This is an unprecedented time in our nation’s history. In this critical moment, we choose to stand in our power, use our voice, and exercise our right to vote while we fight to ensure that our democracy works fairly for everyone. Hip Hop Caucus’ Respect My Vote! campaign is the largest and longest-running hip-hop voter mobilization effort and we are on the ground in cities across the country this fall educating voters on the issues, sharing resources, and driving people to the polls. Your voice matters and your vote is important — now more than ever. Join in with us at www.respectmyvote.com.”

WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Associate Director of Respect My Vote! Chris Walton issued the following statement in response to the passing of U.S. Representative and civil rights champion Sheila Jackson Lee:

“U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was a consummate legislator, friend and ally and Hip Hop Caucus is deeply saddened by her passing. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was a longstanding, fierce advocate for Black people, for civil rights, and for those who are first and worst impacted by injustice in her district and across the nation. She was beloved by her family and Houston community and she will be dearly missed.”

Featured power-building conversations on clean air and water with Big Freedia and local leaders, and live performances from Ha Sizzle and the Water Seed band during 2024 ESSENCE Festival

NEW ORLEANS — Hip Hop Caucus and Beyond Petrochemicals highlighted the racial disparities of environmental pollution from petrochemicals and celebrated Black women at ‘NOLA Green: So Fresh, Seaux Clean,’ a free community-building event hosted at Headquarters by Nice Guys on Friday, July 5. During the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture, the event treated more than 500 attendees to panel discussions, musical performances and power-building conversations to help collectively address fossil fuel pollution and climate change.

‘NOLA Green: So Fresh, Seaux Clean’ featured a panel discussion with GRAMMY-winning recording artist Big Freedia, 2024 TIME 100 awardee RISE St. James founder Sharon Lavigne, and Healthy Gulf organizer Breon Robinson, moderated by Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru. The panel discussion was preceded by an armchair discussion with Beyond Petrochemicals executive director Heather McTeer Toney, The Vessel Project of Louisiana founder Roishetta Ozane and Deep South Center for Environmental Justice founder Dr. Beverly Wright. The event culminated with a reception and musical performances by Ha Sizzle and the Water Seed Band. 

“Just down the road from the historic 30th anniversary of Essence Festival,  petrochemical facilities have been expanding to poison Black communities,” said Heather McTeer Toney. “At NOLA Green, we brought together community leaders, changemakers, and cultural icons to unite people in the fight against petrochemicals, so that the next thirty years and beyond are healthy, safe, and bright for Louisiana communities.”

Pollution from fossil fuels worsens the effects of climate change, and creates a destructive loop that disproportionately impacts the well-being of Black, Brown and Indigenous people. There are more than 120 proposed petrochemical projects in the U.S. that, if built, would lock in decades of toxic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, posing significant threats to our climate and the health of frontline communities.

Recording Artist and Hip Hop Caucus’ Artist Relations Director and Cultural Producer Dawn Richard said, “The ‘NOLA Green: So Fresh, Seaux Clean’ event is a pivotal step toward addressing environmental injustice, raising awareness of the impact of petrochemicals in the surrounding Gulf, and uniting communities in the fight for a clean, inclusive and equitable future. The love I have for my city and my own personal battle with the climate crisis has made my work with Hip Hop Caucus rewarding, meaningful and tangible. By bringing together diverse voices, in New Orleans and beyond, we can create impactful solutions that benefit everyone.”

For more information on Hip Hop Caucus and Beyond Petrochemicals, visit hiphopcaucus.org and www.beyondpetrochemicals.org.

Photo Credit: Hip Hop Caucus and Beyond Petrochemicals

About Hip Hop Caucus 

Formed in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, HHC addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders. 

About Beyond Petrochemicals

Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in September 2022, Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution aims to halt the rapid expansion of petrochemical and plastic pollution in the United States. The campaign draws on the success of the Beyond Coal campaign, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Bloomberg’s Beyond Carbon campaign, to turbocharge existing efforts led by frontline communities to block the rapid expansion of 120+ petrochemical projects concentrated in three target geographies – Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley. The campaign also works to establish stricter rules for existing petrochemical plants to safeguard the health of American communities. For more information, please visit us at beyondpetrochemicals.org and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

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WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Respect My Vote! Assistant Director Chris Walton issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision giving the President of the United States of America immunity for “official acts.” The decision said the President does not have complete immunity for “unofficial acts”,leaving lower courts to continue to litigate what falls under that bar.

“They turned in their homework late and it was still wrong. The Supreme Court in this decision has left many questions as to whether or not the position ‘No one is above the law’ still stands. This is not a decision that was written for the ages, this is a decision that will only cause more cases to be created as they left it to the courts to decide what is and isn’t an official or unofficial act. The court has ruled on presidential immunity. “A former president is entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his “conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority,” the ruling says. Hip Hop Caucus believes no one should be above the law, including any former President of the United States of America.

Our system of checks and balances must remain. This decision is a blow to the American system of government as the model of equality, justice and democracy. Furthermore, releasing this decision at this late stage in a presidential election year requiring further lower court analysis  will only cause more delays to justice. This Supreme Court has compromised its image and its integrity in the eyes of the American people and things must change going forward. Because of this decision the American people will go to the polls this November without a complete story. 

This November when we go to the ballot box let’s make sure our voices are heard and our votes respected. We want a democracy that works, a democracy that welcomes everyone and proudly stands for human, civil and voting rights. All of these issues are on the ballot this November. The Supreme Court and who appoints it and who confirms it is on the ballot this November and it is now in the hands of the American people to make their voices heard and their votes respected. With fear for our democracy, please get out and vote!”

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WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Assistant Director of Respect My Vote! Chris Walton issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision allowing the federal mandate that medical care be provided in the case of an emergency to be overturned. 

“The Hippocratic oath that doctors take is to first do no harm and the majority on the Supreme Court punted rather than take a stand. As Justice Jackson stated clearly in her dissent “This Court had a chance to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it.” When it’s all said and done we have to restore Reproductive Freedom from coast to coast and the Hip Hop Caucus stands firm in that belief. You shouldn’t have to risk your life to bring life into this world or be faced with having to be airlifted to another state to receive emergency care. The fact that this decision punted this issue back to lower courts shows how important it is to have our voices heard and our votes respected. This November we will have the opportunity to make sure. 

Hip Hop Caucus is appreciative of this decision to continue to allow Idaho women to be able to continue to receive emergency medical abortions but also more determined than ever to continue the fight to restore full Reproductive Freedom. We strongly urge Congress to take action to further protect the women of America and restore Roe. This November, we call on everyone to join us with our coalition partners to remind voters that our Reproductive Freedoms are on the ballot in regards to Abortion, IVF, and Contraceptives which conservatives want to ban. We have to make it crystal clear that we trust women to make the best decisions for themselves and their bodies and ensure that our votes are heard and respected.”  

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WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Assistant Director of Respect My Vote! Chris Walton issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision upholding a federal ban on gun possession for anyone protected by a domestic violence court order:

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s near unanimous decision to uphold a ban on gun possession for people placed under restraining orders for domestic violence thankfully shows that the Court does have some level of common sense. More than half of all mass shootings are perpetrated by people with a record of domestic violence and the second amendment must have its limits.

This month also marks the ninth anniversary of the Emanuel AME Church mass shooting in Charleston, SC, an act of violence led by a white supremacist, which claimed nine lives. Gun violence continues to grip our nation – there have been more than 190 mass shootings this year alone – but this epidemic does not need to continue.

Hip Hop Caucus supports this decision and we urge Congress to take gun regulations even further by passing and reenacting the federal assault weapons ban and enacting a ban on bump stocks. This November, we will join with our coalition partners to remind voters that guns are on the ballot, make clear that we do not want more guns on our streets and in the wrong hands, and ensure that our votes are heard and respected.”

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