Artists Rally Against Images Of Women In Rap Music

The Muslim Student Association of Sarah Lawrence College in New York has gathered a distinct group of activists, artists, and performers together to rally on Saturday, November 23, in response to the degrading images of women in mainstream rap music and popular culture. Jurrasic 5’s Akil, Jorge "Fabel" Pabon (Senior V.P. of the Rock Steady […]

The Muslim Student Association of Sarah Lawrence

College in New York has gathered a distinct group of activists, artists, and

performers together to rally on Saturday, November 23, in response to the degrading

images of women in mainstream rap music and popular culture.

Jurrasic 5’s Akil, Jorge "Fabel" Pabon

(Senior V.P. of the Rock Steady Crew), Mahdi Bra, Meqqa (spoken word artist),

former Def Jam President Carmen Asshurst-Woodard and many others will participate

in the 5 hour rally which starts at 2 p.m.

The rally is free and open to the public and

the purpose of the rally is to spark conscious awareness and questioning of

the daily images of women in popular entertainment, and to decontextualize the

role and effects of these images on individuals and society as a whole.

Tauheeda Yasin, chair of the Muslim Student Association

and event coordinator, expressed that she thought that it was important for

the Muslim Student Association to speak up about this.

"As Muslims, we are against injustice anywhere,

and we can’t turn our backs to the fact that popular culture has an effect on

everyone," Yasin said. "Muslims are seeing their children being influenced

by hip-hop and other popular culture, and they are becoming more aware that

it isn’t enough to just turn off the TV. We have to speak up about

these images and become aware of the effect that images like these play into

public policy and popular opinion."

After the rally, attendees will be able to ask

the speakers and performers questions and engage in dialogue about solutions

to the problem, and individual ways students, teachers, parents, and consumers

can act to counter the effects.

"When policy makers go into rooms to make

policy, popular culture is floating around in their heads. The bias button isn’t

somehow turned-off. The vast majority of the images we see in hip-hop portray

African-Americans and Latinos, as brutish, materialistic, ignorant, and over-sexed.

These images further a historical stereotyping of African-Americans in particular

and now, also Latinos. These images and attitudes in reference to women become

internalized by African-American, Latino, and Asian youth, and increasingly

suburban White-American youth as well. They internalize these attitudes in reference

to women, which justifies calling women by derogatory names, and committing

physical or psychological abuse. It is important we address this, and the rally

is one of the best ways to start the conversation," said Yasin.

More info is below:

Saturday, November 23rd, Sarah Lawrence College

1 Mead Way, Bronxville NY

Reisinger Auditorium

2 pm – 7 PM , FREE to the Public. Video Cameras Welcome!

Featured Speakers and Performers:

The Hammer Bros. (Mustaphysical and Omasik/Queens-based

Palestinian emcees)

Tha Iron Triangle (BulletProof Soul, Sunnah:4, and T.O.L. from Cleveland)

Akil (Jurassic 5)

Carmen Asshurst-Woodard (former President of Def Jam Recordings)

Maspyke (DJ Roddy Rod, Hanif "H-Bomb", Jamiyl and Tableek)

Jorge "Fabel" Pabon (Tools of War/Senior V.P. of the Rock Steady Crew)

Christie Z-Pabon (Tools of War: Publicist & Event Coordinator

Mahdi Bray (Executive Director, MAS Freedom Foundation)

Hakim Sabree (New Africa Intelligencia)

Rev. Graylan Hagler (United Plymouth Congregational Church)

Meqqa (Spoken Word Artist)

Demetria Royals (Filmmaker)

Aisha Al-Adawiya (Women In Islam)

Jamila Jihad-Wahhaj (Activist & wife of Imam Siraj Wahhaj)

For more information contact: Tauheeda Yasin,

Event Coordinator: ConsciousPeople@aol.com

For directions www.slc.edu or www.mapquest.com

or call 914-395-2209