Hip-Hop entrepreneur P. Miller and son Romeo have joined with Walmart to give financial support to the community-centered Living Dream Telethon.
Founded by social activists Ladell Beamon and Percy Townes, the Living the Dream Telethon focuses on bringing mainstream awareness to the poverty, crime, and subpar education of Memphis’ inner-city children.
Through his various contacts in entertainment and corporate America, Beamon has highlighted this year’s main goal as addressing the rising, alarming numbers in violent deaths of youths involved with drugs and gangs.
P. Miller knows about these realities firsthand through his upbringing in New Orleans, and now seeks to heal troubled communities across the country.
“This event changed my life; it made me realize that we must focus on the youth to make real change. And if we are to stop the violence in our communities, we must replace the guns with books,” P. Miller explained. “It’s time to educate our kids, get them off of the streets and give them some place to go. With all the community work that I’ve already done in my own hometown of New Orleans, this event made me realize that there is so much more work that needs to be done.”
To that end, Miller and Romeo have donated $50,000 to the Living the Dream telethon. Corporate giant Walmart followed up with a $10,000 donation.
With $60,000 to start, Miller remains optimistic that his former Hip-Hop colleagues and other corporations will sign on and create a nationwide, philanthropic movement.
“This is only the beginning,” he declared. “Hopefully, more celebrities, athletes, and corporations will join the movement. A friend of mine told me that if you want to make a difference, all you have to do is ‘Show up’. Our goal is to heal the hood by promoting peace and educating our community to decrease poverty and crime.”
For more information on volunteer, donation, and sponsorship opportunities with Living the Dream, please visit http://www.livingthedream1.org/.