Photo courtesy of GrassROOTS Community Foundation
Children in Philadelphia are no different from their counterparts in communities across the country. To survive and thrive, they need proper nutrition, adequate educational opportunities, and caring people to ensure their pathways to success.
But, what makes the children of Philadelphia and a few other local cities different from all the rest is that they have the encouragement of the most legendary rap band in history, the Legendary Roots Crew. The Roots, like many Hip-Hop artists, came from humble beginnings – and their lead MC Black Thought, in a rare, candid moment, recently shared how he grew up with the pain of having both of his parents murdered in separate incidents.
These days, Black Thought wants to make a difference in the lives of children – especially girls – so he recruited The Roots along with sociologist Dr. Janice Johnson Dias to form the GrassROOTS Community Foundation and its “Let’s Move It Philly” event. And, by using their famous, crowd-drawing name, this past weekend, The Roots hosted a generous day of community outreach – first with a group of lucky girls via a Roots-judged talent show and fair, and later Saturday night at grown folks’ fundraiser concert at Philadelphia’s legendary Sigma Sound Stage.
AllHipHop.com was there for the special occasion. Check out our interviews with the organizers, along with show footage of The Roots and their guests, DJ/producer Rich Medina, Lady Gaga’s drummer Spanky, Power 99FM’s DJ Diamond Kuts, and the Money Making Jam Boys:
Black Thought, Questlove, Philadelphia Mayor Michael N#####, and GrassROOTS’ Co-Founder Talk “Let’s Move It Philly” and Impacting Kids
Concert Footage: The Roots’ Black Thought, Questlove, and Dice Raw Move The Crowd To Raise Funds for Philly Youth
In the end, across the United States, one thing is still certain – enough children aren’t getting enough of what they need. Childhood obesity is setting the stage for their health problems later in life, and lack of role models will likely mean a lack of exposure to the “good life” that they all deserve a shot at. Thankfully, despite the somewhat bleak outlook, there are people in high places who came from low places (like The Roots) who care.
And you can care to. Consider donating to GrassROOTS, or find a local cause supported by your favorite rapper or nonprofit organization, and help children grow strong.