In response to an invitation issued by hip hop legend
and Dallas native, the D.O.C., the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network is convening
its third major summit in Dallas, TX. October 11&12, 2002 at the Adolphus
Hotel and the Texas Academy of Arts and Letters. The theme of the Dallas Hip Hop
Summit is ³Taking Back Responsibility:Empowering Our Youth.² In prior
Summits in New York and Los Angeles, the HSAN (Hip-Hop Summit Action Network)
has focused on the theme of ³Taking Back Responsibility.² The D.O.C.
is the first hip-hop artist to initiate the establishment of a HSAN local Youth
Council and the theme of the Dallas Summit reflects the commitment of the D.O.C.
and his Silverback Records label to empowering the youth of the Dallas-Ft. Worth
area.
For the first time, the HSAN is opening the Summit
to public participation and, as a result, there has been a tremendous response
from youth throughout the Dallas Ft. Worth area. Involved in the Dallas
Hip Hop Summit program will be the Dallas Urban League and NAACP, the S,I.T.E.S.
(Students Information Technology Education Scholarships) program, Merrill Lynch
and Bryan¹s House, an adolescent program to help Dallas-Ft.Worth youth
become responsible adults.
Joining the D.OC will be Russell Simmons, Chairman
of Def Jam Records and the HSAN, Motown recording artist Erykah Badu, MCA recording
artist Common, Minister Benjamin Muhammad, CEO/President of the HSAN, on-air
personality Action Jaxon, elected officials, record industry executives and
local civic leaders.
The official radio station of the Dallas Hip-Hop
Summit is 97.9 THE BEAT, a Radio One affiliate.
Day one of the Dallas Hip-Hop Summit on October
11th, which will take place at the Adolphus Hotel, will begin with registration
from 9 to 11am. The first session will begin at 11am, and will feature a panel
discussion moderated by Minister Benjamin Muhammad, including Russell Simmons,
Erykah Badu, the DOC, State Senator Royce West, Dallas Urban League CEO Dr.
Beverly Brooks-Mitchell and Rikki Rincon, media relations specialist for the
Latino musical community, Vernon Norris, COO of Silverback Records and Jonathan
Huffman, VP of Silverback Records. The second session will focus on Hip-Hop
Economic Development, Hip-Hop Political Empowerment and establishing the Dallas-Ft.
Worth Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council. In addition, the Urban Leaguer Def Jam Reader
literacy program and the SITES programs will be highlighted.
Day two of the Dallas Hip-Hop Summit on October
12th will begin with a 9:30am visit to the Dallas Juvenile Detention Center
by the D.O.C., Russell Simmons, Minister Benjamin Muhammad and other Summit
participants. HSAN believes that hip-hop can help inspire young people to avoid
juvenile delinquency and this visit represents an outreach effort on the part
of those involved. Following the visit, the program will begin at 11am at the
Texas Academy of Arts & Letters. It will focus on youth voter mobilization
and a ³Get Out The Vote² rally, in conjunction with an appearance
by Ron Kirk, Democratic candidate for United States Senate. In the afternoon,
the NAACP and Rap The Vote will make a special presentation. The Summit will
conclude with the building of an action agenda by the youth of Dallas-Ft. Worth,
declaring their issues and their priorities which will guide the work of the
Dallas-Ft. Worth Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council.
