The strength, leadership, challenges and successes of women pioneers in Hip-Hop will occupy conversation among those attending the Hip-Hop Association (H2A) and New York University Center for Multicultural Education and Programs’ Womanhood Passage Fundraiser.
The event, which will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 25 at the school’s Rosenthal Pavilion, will feature various Hip-Hop artists, executives, activists, media makers and entrepreneurs.
Confirmed speakers slated to be honored include Monie Love, Baraka Sele, Toofly, DJ Beverly Bond, Kim Osorio, DJ Jazzy Joyce, Rachel Ramist, Thembisa Mshaka, Dr. Roxanne Shante, Martha Cooper and Cindy Campbell, billed as “the godmother of Hip-Hop.”
“This event is more than just honoring those that have paved the way, it is also promoting intergenerational healing amongst women,” said H2A founder Martha Diaz. “Too often the negative associations of women in Hip-Hop go unresolved. We hope to have the Womanhood Passage Fundraiser move us toward a resolution while promoting some of the most positive women in Hip-Hop.”
In addition to Osorio, Roxanne Shante and Jazzy Joyce, 15-year-old rapper/actress P-Star will be on hand at the Fundraiser to discuss her documentary P-Star Rising.
The feature was recently screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Womanhood Passage Fundraiser will help kick off the H2A’s initiatives for its Womanhood Learning Project (WLP).
The endeavor is dedicated towards highlighting women’s roles and leadership positions within Hip-Hop culture and the community.
This year’s WLP initiatives involve a resource book titled Fresh, Bold, So Def: Women in Hip-Hop Changing the Game.
More than 300 artists, activists and entrepreneurs are profiled in the tome.
The WLP’s second effort pertains to its Ladies First Fund, an initiative that offers a $5,000 grant to a candidate dedicated to social entrepreneurship in the Newark, New Jersey area.
According to the grant, the Fund is labeled as “the first grant for women in Hip-Hop.”
General admission tickets for the Womanhood Passage Fundraiser, which are $45, are available at www.hiphopassociation.org.
