Houston,
Texas-based lyricist Slim Thug is the latest artist scheduled to take part in
a Stop the Violence Hip-Hop caucus in New Orleans.The
event, hosted by the Hip-Hop Caucus Institute (HHCi), will take place Friday (Nov.
24) and include a dialogue and strategy session to find a solution for the growing
violence in neighborhoods populated with survivors of Hurricane Katrina.The
HHCi is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening social
movements with independent research, visionary thinking and links to the grassroots,
the Hip-Hop community, scholars and elected officials.In
addition to Slim Thug, survivors will interact with city officials, community
activists, legal advocates and civil rights leaders in a Hip-Hop Town Hall meeting.
Other
celebrities expected to attend include BG, Mia X, Joe Blakk, Head-Roc, DJ Jubilee,
Sess 4-5, Fifth Ward Weebie, and L.O.G. as well as invited artists David Banner,
Remy Ma, Doug E. Fresh, Paul Wall and Juvenile.The
event comes in light of a tragic milestone for New Orleans, which reached its
100th homicide of the year in September. In addition to an increasing
homicide rate, the city has seen an increase in suicides, depression, substance
abuse, and domestic violence."Tragically,
violence is igniting among youth, many of whom find themselves shut out of the
rebuilding process," said the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., HHCi president. "The
increase in violence, which has emerged as a result of despair and desperation,
has been intensified by the failure of the government to adequately and comprehensively
provide access to education, employment, or even hope of a positive future for
young people."Leadership
among youth affected by Katrina will be encouraged at the gathering as a catalyst
towards setting examples for young people in other troubled urban communities.
The
Caucus will also address the national issue of violence in urban communities in
hopes of developing a national youth coalition to advocate for peace and justice
in cities throughout the U.S.Doors
open at noon for the event. The town hall meeting will be 1 to 5 p.m. at the Anirtak
Theater (formally the State Palace), 1108 Canal Street New Orleans.