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Month: September 2017

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New Single Moves People to Act on Climate Change, Benefits Storm Victims

People’s Climate Music Releases New Single Featuring Jeremih and Antonique Smith to Move People to Act on Climate, Proceeds to Storm Relief Efforts

Cover of the 1969 Beatles iconic song inspires hope to solve climate change and support communities impacted by hurricanes and environmental disaster

Washington, D.C., September 22, 2017 – Today Hip Hop Caucus, creator of People’s Climate Music, debuted “Here Comes the Sun,” on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music, featuring Grammy nominated singers Jeremih and Antonique Smith. The inspirational track is a cover of the song written by George Harrison that was first released on the Beatles’ 1969 pivotal album, Abbey Road. All profits from the record are being donated to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts in frontline communities. Through People’s Climate Music, Hip Hop Caucus organizes diverse and influential artists to create music that inspires action on the climate crisis, with a goal of leading the way to a sustainable, 100% clean energy future for our planet.

Jeremih and Antonique Smith’s interpretation of “Here Comes the Sun” is a message about our humanity, as people of all walks of life come together to help each other in disaster and crises.

“We reprised the song in a way that keeps the essence of the original version, and we appropriated it as a message of hope to those today who are working on the right side of history– for justice, equality, and a healthy planet,” said Jeremih.

The song is accompanied by a call to action for people to take at www.PeoplesClimateMusic.com/HCTS. A promise to band together for the immediate and long-term recovery work from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and to prepare vulnerable communities for climate adaptation and an equitable transition to a clean economy, the project calls on people to use their voices to put pressure on our world leaders to act on climate change now.

“Poor communities and communities of color are impacted first and worst by the climate crisis,” said Antonique Smith. “I’ve traveled across the country meeting with communities on the frontlines of pollution and environmental disasters, and the purpose of our revival of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ is to bring more attention and support to their work and leadership on the frontlines.”

To mark People’s Climate Music’s third anniversary, a trailer for the “Here Comes the Sun” music video featuring Jeremih and Antonique Smith will premiere during Climate Week NYC 2017 at Hip Hop Caucus’ Frontline Communities – The Untold Stories of The Climate Movement event on Sunday, September 24th at The New School.

“With the power of culture and artists who have the ability to reach people everywhere, we are expanding the climate movement,” explained Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of Hip Hop Caucus. “We must build a movement big enough and powerful enough to drive a transition to 100% clean energy for all. A healthy planet requires justice and equality so that everyone’s communities are clean, healthy, and safe places to live.”

“Here Comes the Sun” is available on all streaming and online stores including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music. Find the song at: www.PeoplesClimateMusic.com/HCTS For more information about People’s Climate Music visit peoplesclimatemusic.com or to continue the social conversation, visit Facebook.com/hiphopcaucus.

About Hip Hop Caucus (www.w0c.71c.mwp.accessdomain.com) 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 People’s Climate Music (www.peoplesclimatemusic.com) Climate change is the most significant global issue of our time. The adverse impacts of climate change can be seen in unsafe water supplies, disproportionate pollution in poor communities, and extreme weather like hurricanes, heat waves and drought. It’s only going to get worse unless we work together to create a big change. Over the past decade, Hip Hop Caucus has been building support for the climate movement among cultural influencers. People’s Climate Music is a large-scale project that is expanding the base and scope of the climate movement, reaching deeper into popular consciousness to drive climate action among diverse constituencies, and inspiring action.

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Hip Hop Caucus Condemns Trump Administration’s Latest Moves at EPA, while Vulnerable Communities Deal With Impacts of Severe Storms

Washington, D.C. – Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Climate, Environmental Justice, & Community Revitalization at Hip Hop Caucus, today released the statement below about the impacts severe storms have on our most vulnerable communities, and the lack of prioritization and response they receive from this Administration, including recent reports that Administrator Scott Pruitt is relocating the offices of Environmental Justice and National Environmental Policy Act Compliance out of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These offices were formed out of a set of recommendations from stakeholders over the years under both Republican and Democratic Administrations. They provide critical expertise, protection of public health, and ensure that input and needs of all communities are fully considered by the agency, including ahead of, during, and following disasters.

“Moving these offices is very alarming, especially in the immediate aftermath of Harvey and looking ahead at Irma. This is another example of how this Administration is dissecting and dismantling the agency with a scalpel to favor industry polluters instead of protecting the health and prosperity of the American people. These actions politicize and weaken these offices, and continue to show a lack of connection to the voices and input from our most vulnerable communities by this Administration. This is at a time when the current leadership should be moving forward on the expansion of these offices to address the vastly disproportionate environmental impacts happening across the country to our most vulnerable communities – including communities of color, low income communities, and indigenous populations.”

“America’s most vulnerable communities are hardest hit and often undervalued, underestimated and marginalized by decision makers following storms like Harvey. For decades communities like Port Arthur and the Manchester neighborhood in Houston have been breathing in heavy toxic air that literally takes their breath away. Following Harvey, they now face even stronger first-hand exposure to harmful and unknown chemicals in their air, water, and land. First responders to the disaster areas are also exposed to these harmful toxins as they put their lives on the line to save lives and property. Vulnerable communities are also not typically prioritized in rebuilding efforts. They are often relocated to the most undesirable areas with the greatest risk to future public health threats and face many disproportionate hurdles as they attempt to recover financially.”

“Unfortunately, thus far the Trump Administration has not shown that they care about our most vulnerable communities. They have also shown an unwillingness to consider the impacts of an increasingly changing climate into their planning, policies, and priority setting for the American people. The current Administration has proposed drastic budget cuts that are not connected to the reality and dangers that vulnerable communities face, or what science is telling us. Their proposed cuts to NOAA, FEMA, EPA, and HUD in particular will have a direct correlation to the preparedness, response, and recovery within these communities hardest hit by Harvey and other severe storms of increasing magnitude, like Hurricane Irma approaching the U.S. mainland.”

“Vulnerable communities are forced into even more desperate situations, where their existing challenges are significantly compounded by these stronger storms and lack of foresight, empathy, and action by this Administration. This is literally putting people’s lives in jeopardy. This is the time we need to recognize the power, solutions, and opportunities to better prepare, respond, and rebuild for all. We need to work together to take our most vulnerable communities from surviving to thriving.”

To support frontline communities recovering from Harvey, please visit #AJustHarveyRecovery and Hip Hop Caucus’ resource page here.

For more, please be sure to check out Mustafa’s latest appearance on AM Joy, video interview with Robert Reich, and interview on the Politically Re-Active podcast with Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu. You can also keep up with him on Twitter (@EJinAction).

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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 people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative network, HHC addresses core issues impacting under-served and vulnerable communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders. Learn more at HipHopCaucus.org. Follow HHC online @HipHopCaucus on all social media platforms.

About Mustafa Santiago Ali: Mustafa Santiago Ali is a renowned national speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Mr. Ali specializes in social and environmental justice issues and is focused on a utilizing a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities. He joined the Hip Hop Caucus after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he most recently served as Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization. Throughout his career he has worked with over 500 domestic and international communities to improve people’s lives by addressing environmental, health, and economic justice issues.

MEDIA CONTACT – Mark Antoniewicz, mark@w0c.71c.mwp.accessdomain.com, 202-506-5882

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Condemning Trump Administration’s Latest Moves at EPA, while Vulnerable Communities Deal With Impacts of Severe Storms

HIP HOP CAUCUS PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 7, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT – Mark Antoniewicz, mark@w0c.71c.mwp.accessdomain.com, 202-506-5882

Washington, D.C. – Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Vice President for Climate, Environmental Justice, & Community Revitalization at Hip Hop Caucus, today released the statement below about the impacts severe storms have on our most vulnerable communities, and the lack of prioritization and response they receive from this Administration, including recent reports that Administrator Scott Pruitt is relocating the offices of Environmental Justice and National Environmental Policy Act Compliance out of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These offices were formed out of a set of recommendations from stakeholders over the years under both Republican and Democratic Administrations. They provide critical expertise, protection of public health, and ensure that input and needs of all communities are fully considered by the agency, including ahead of, during, and following disasters.

“Moving these offices is very alarming, especially in the immediate aftermath of Harvey and looking ahead at Irma. This is another example of how this Administration is dissecting and dismantling the agency with a scalpel to favor industry polluters instead of protecting the health and prosperity of the American people. These actions politicize and weaken these offices, and continue to show a lack of connection to the voices and input from our most vulnerable communities by this Administration. This is at a time when the current leadership should be moving forward on the expansion of these offices to address the vastly disproportionate environmental impacts happening across the country to our most vulnerable communities – including communities of color, low income communities, and indigenous populations.”

“America’s most vulnerable communities are hardest hit and often undervalued, underestimated and marginalized by decision makers following storms like Harvey. For decades communities like Port Arthur and the Manchester neighborhood in Houston have been breathing in heavy toxic air that literally takes their breath away. Following Harvey, they now face even stronger first-hand exposure to harmful and unknown chemicals in their air, water, and land. First responders to the disaster areas are also exposed to these harmful toxins as they put their lives on the line to save lives and property. Vulnerable communities are also not typically prioritized in rebuilding efforts. They are often relocated to the most undesirable areas with the greatest risk to future public health threats and face many disproportionate hurdles as they attempt to recover financially.”

“Unfortunately, thus far the Trump Administration has not shown that they care about our most vulnerable communities. They have also shown an unwillingness to consider the impacts of an increasingly changing climate into their planning, policies, and priority setting for the American people. The current Administration has proposed drastic budget cuts that are not connected to the reality and dangers that vulnerable communities face, or what science is telling us. Their proposed cuts to NOAA, FEMA, EPA, and HUD in particular will have a direct correlation to the preparedness, response, and recovery within these communities hardest hit by Harvey and other severe storms of increasing magnitude, like Hurricane Irma approaching the U.S. mainland.”

“Vulnerable communities are forced into even more desperate situations, where their existing challenges are significantly compounded by these stronger storms and lack of foresight, empathy, and action by this Administration. This is literally putting people’s lives in jeopardy. This is the time we need to recognize the power, solutions, and opportunities to better prepare, respond, and rebuild for all. We need to work together to take our most vulnerable communities from surviving to thriving.”

To support frontline communities recovering from Harvey, please visit #AJustHarveyRecovery and Hip Hop Caucus’ resource page here.

For more, please be sure to check out Mustafa’s latest appearance on AM Joy, video interview with Robert Reich, and interview on the Politically Re-Active podcast with Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu. You can also keep up with him on Twitter (@EJinAction).

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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 people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative network, HHC addresses core issues impacting under-served and vulnerable communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders. Learn more at HipHopCaucus.org. Follow HHC online @HipHopCaucus on all social media platforms.

About Mustafa Santiago Ali: Mustafa Santiago Ali is a renowned national speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Mr. Ali specializes in social and environmental justice issues and is focused on a utilizing a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities. He joined the Hip Hop Caucus after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he most recently served as Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization. Throughout his career he has worked with over 500 domestic and international communities to improve people’s lives by addressing environmental, health, and economic justice issues.

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Statement on Trump’s Decision to End DACA

HIP HOP CAUCUS PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 5, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT – Mark Antoniewicz, mark@w0c.71c.mwp.accessdomain.com, 202-506-5882

Washington, D.C. – Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, today released the below statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

“We the people will not stand for this Administration’s continued blatant disregard for our most vulnerable communities, cruel actions that will tear apart thousands of families, and fanning of the flames of hate and bigotry. The decision to end DACA today is so cruel, even this Administration decided to wait a few days until after a natural disaster devastated millions of our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast to announce it. Ending DACA will certainly be a man-made disaster, one that will have drastic negative implications on America’s families, economy, and moral fabric for years to come. This decision also comes on the heels of Charlottesville, where the whole world saw America’s ugliest side. We will continue to relentlessly counter this hate and bigotry supported by this Administration with love. All power to the people.”

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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 under-served and vulnerable communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders. Learn more at HipHopCaucus.org.

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Hurricane Katrina 12th Anniversary – March & Second Line

HIP HOP CAUCUS PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 3, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT – Mark Antoniewicz, mark@w0c.71c.mwp.accessdomain.com, 202-506-5882

New Orleans Community, Hip Hop Artists, and Activists Commemorate 12th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Call for a Just Harvey Recovery for All

New Orleans, LA – Today the Hip Hop Caucus, New Orleans Katrina Commemoration Foundation, Nuthin’ But Fire Records, Q93, People’s Climate Music, and many other community partners hosted the 12th Annual Hurricane Katrina March and Second Line.

The day’s events began with a healing ceremony next to the breached levee in the Lower Ninth Ward, followed by a march through the streets which fed into a second line. The second line ended with a rally at Hunter’s Field hosted by Wild Wayne of Q93 and renowned New Orleans’ poet Sunni Patterson. The rally featured remarks and performances by a variety of prominent community and cultural leaders, including Mia X, Sess 4-5, Roi Anthony, Hustlaz, Lady Red, Yung Pro, Shorty, Wildboy Woody, and DJ7.

This event serves as the largest annual community based commemoration of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and shows first-hand the consequences of climate disasters on our communities. Each year this event honors the resiliency of the people, remembers the lives lost, and encourages further support for the communities most devastated by Hurricane Katrina. This year organizers also called for a just and equitable recovery from Hurricane Harvey which caused widespread flooding in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana this past week.

“The people of New Orleans will not forget those who were lost 12 years ago and it is incredibly powerful to march in the same streets where your relatives died,” said Rev Yearwood, President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus. “This anniversary is also a moment of solidarity, as millions are currently being impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana. Let us help our brothers and sisters in the Gulf get through this historic event, just as the City of Houston did by taking in over 100,000 people impacted by Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. In that same spirit, we extend our hands and stand for a just recovery as we begin to heal and rebuild.”

Participants throughout the day also highlighted the ongoing struggle of families to live and thrive in post-Katrina New Orleans. Participants also called on leaders to do more to better prepare our most vulnerable communities to withstand future natural disasters by investing in smarter infrastructure and addressing climate change.

“We will never forget Katrina and what it did to our people,” said Sess 4-5, event organizer, leader of Hip Hop Caucus New Orleans, and recording artist and community activist. “We also want to shine a light on the fact that many people impacted by the storm are still not getting the help they deserve, even 12 years after it hit. We will keep on marching every year to remember those lost, bring our community closer together, and hold our elected leaders accountable so that they can right the wrongs of the past and create a better future for all.”

Organizers asked participants, supporters, and leaders to:

  • Remember: by calling on the state of Louisiana to make August 29 a holiday commemorating the lives lost in Katrina.
  • Right the wrongs: by calling for racial and economic justice so that in the face of disaster, the poor and people of color are not left without the ability to rebuild communities with good schools, good jobs, and good public health and safety.  
  • Say never again: by calling for action on climate change from our world’s leaders, otherwise we will only see more of these extreme weather events like Hurricane Katrina and Harvey around the world.
  • Call for a just and equitable Harvey recovery and rebuild for all: The most vulnerable communities – including low-income and communities of color – are being hardest hit. Help support by visiting anothergulf.com/a-just-harvey-recovery.

For more options on how to support Harvey recovery efforts, please visit w0c.71c.mwp.accessdomain.com/hurricane-harvey.  

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. Learn more at HipHopCaucus.org.  

About 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.

About the People’s Climate Music: People’s Climate Music is helping to expand the climate movement by organizing diverse and influential artists to create music and culture that inspires action to solve the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced – climate change. More at PeoplesClimateMusic.com.

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