(AllHipHop) As the war on gun violence rages on and as we reflect on the Boston Marathon bombings, West Coast icon and Hip-Hop legend, Snoop Lion has decided to do his part to end the violence.
As part of Snoop’s ongoing reincarnation to Rastafarianism, Snoop has most recently taken his stance on gun violence and is urging the youth to put down their weapons.
Seeking to secure peace across the world and within Hip-Hop, today (April 22) The League of Young Voters Education Fund launched a grassroots non-violence campaign inspired by Snoop Lion aka Snoop Dogg’s song “No Guns Allowed” ft. Drake Cori B – Snoop’s daughter.
The initiative was derived from startling statistics recently acquired by the League of Young Voters that state that a child or teen dies or is injured from guns every 30 minutes in the United States.
The primary goal of the campaign with Snoop is to decrease violence by advocating for youth violence prevention programs and background checks on firearm purchases.
During a recent appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, Snoop explained how a rash of tragic school shootings motivated him to write “No Guns Allowed.”
“I wanted to make some music to try to help the next person who was thinking about loading a gun, going to a school and shooting. Maybe it would help him put that gun down and think about what he was doing before they [acted],” Snoop Lion told Morgan.
In an open letter to Snoop, which garnered national media attention from leading outlets, such as Politico and BET, Rob “Biko” Baker, Executive Director of the League of Young Voters Education Fund said “I am so inspired that you are using your platform to speak up about the nation’s violence issue. I want you to know that the League of Young Voters Education Fund is committed to spreading your anti-violence message to prevent future tragedies.”
The buzz surrounding the open letter caught Snoop’s attention and prompted him to respond publicly via his Twitter account, which quickly led to a meeting between the superstar and leaders from the League.
Snoop is now publicly aligning himself with the League of Young Voters Education Fund and their “No Guns Allowed” initiative.
“‘No Guns Allowed’ is a really important song to me,” Snoop Lion said. “I’m humbled that an organization like the League of Young Voters Education Fund supports what I’m saying in it and is taking action. Especially since they have been doing work for a long time to spread an anti-violence message in our communities.”
Spreading this peaceful message is exactly what the League is doing with the announcement of their “No GunsAllowed” campaign which will include:
● Opportunities for people to share personal stories about how they’ve been affected by gun violence
● An informative celebrity PSA series
● A live streaming round-table discussion with key influencers and other special events
The League’s “No Guns Allowed” PSA series will use the power of storytelling to heal communities and develop innovative ways to stop violence. The videos will inform viewers about issues related to gun violence and feature celebrities, political figures, grassroots organizers and community members sharing their thoughts and personal experiences related to gun violence.
As part of a widespread social media push launching today, League of Young Voters Education Fund is also asking people across the country to submit personal stories and photos via Tumblr and share messages using the hashtag #NoGunsAllowed on Twitter and Instagram, expressing how they’ve been affected by gun violence.
“No Guns Allowed” themed events, including interactive live streams, and a round-table discussion with celebrities, community activists and political figures, will also take place. The League has been producing non-violence events, such as their Put the Guns Down rallies, for more than 10 years.
“The League is excited and honored by Snoop’s support for our ‘No Guns Allowed’ campaign,” Baker said. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with him in the near future to reach even more people and bring some much-needed attention to the work we’ve been doing for some time to make urban communities safer.”
Join the No Guns Allowed movement now by taking a pledge against violence, signing a petition in support of universal background checks and violence prevention programs, submitting personal stories today about how you’ve been affected by gun violence, and sharing photos and messages using the #NoGunsAllowed hashtag.
Visit Causes.com/NoGunsAllowed for updates on additional “No Guns Allowed” activities from the League of Young Voters Education Fund.