Hip-Hop icon Reverend Run and rappers Bow Wow and Lil Mama are among a group of celebrities that are featured in a new Public Service Announcement titled “I Will Graduate,” urging students to stay in school.
In addition to the rappers, John Starks (The New York Knicks), Jaslene Gonzalez (America’s Next Top Model) and R&B star Omarion have teamed with The Entertainers 4 Education Alliance to help encourage New York State students from dropping out.
Statistically, the state has the highest number of black and Hispanic dropouts in the country, with some 20,000 students dropping out each year.
Nationwide that number is almost 50%, with over 7,000 mostly black and Hispanic students dropping out of high school each day.
“We are very excited about launching this campaign,” said E4EA co-founder Tonya Lewis. “Our goal is to grab the attention of our youth in yet another attempt to encourage them to choose education. We hope everyone will join us with our movement as we look to help change the trajectory of today’s at risk youth.”
E4EA is a non-profit organization that works with a number of high profile rappers, actors and athletes to encourage high school students to focus on education.
The “I Will Graduate” campaign E4EA’s national call to students, parents and the community to increase educational achievement, by calling on one million students nationwide to agree to obtain a high school diploma and pursue higher education.
BET’s Terrance J., Lil Mama, John Starks and Councilman Robert Jackson will officially launch the print and radio television ads on Wednesday (April 2) at the Samsung Experience at the Time Warner Building, from 6:00-9:00 PM.
For more information visit: http://www.e4ea.org.