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RPC VEEP MATHIS PUSHES DIGNITY
AND DIVERSITY AT ESSENCE MUSIC FEST
(Atlanta, GA – July 9, 2007) Janice L. Mathis,
Esq., M.C. Lyte, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Cornell
West, Angela Davis, M1, James Peterson, Ph.D.
discussed images in Hip-hop at the annual Essence
Music Festival on Friday, July 6 in New Orleans.
Hip-Hop Moving To A Higher
Ground
panelists
were assigned a word to analyze in the context of
Hip-Hop culture by panel moderator,
asha
bandele.
The discussion was animated by the fact that the
panelists received their word for the first time
onstage and were limited to a three-minute
response. Angela Davis reminded the audience of
more than 1500 that black women always shine.
Public intellectual and author Cornell West made the
point that wisdom is found in the accumulated
experience of African people. M.C. Lyte indicated
that she has “experienced every conceivable emotion
in connection with Hip-hop, including love and
hate. I will never leave Hip-hop.”
Mathis coined a new slogan in the struggle for
meaning in Hip-hop, “we love Hip-Hop and we want
Hip-Hop to love us.” The word assigned to Mathis
was PUSH, which she defined as “creating our own
reality.” Mathis, who represents Rainbow PUSH in a
national coalition of women leaders committed to
promoting positive images of black women and men in
media, indicated that “attending shareholder
meetings is an effective way to influence the
corporate mega-powers that control Hip-hop and all
media.” Other tactics the group has employed
include picketing Viacom, owner of BET and MTV
networks, and spurring Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL)
to hold hearings on Capitol Hill on July 11th.
Essence Music Festival, presented by The Coca-Cola
Company, featured a who’s who list of performers
including Steve Harvey, Mary J. Blige, Maze
Featuring Frankie Beverly, Beyonce, Neyo, the Isley
Brothers, Tyler Perry and Chris Brown. Billed as a
“party with a purpose”, topics such as
wealth-building, spiritual growth and relationships
dominated the day-time empowerment seminars, while
the musicians and comedians took over the stage each
evening, Thursday-Saturday. EMF is estimated to
make a $100 million impact on New Orleans’ battered
economy.
The
Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a civil and human rights
organization committed to empowering individuals to
create a fairer, more just world.
For
more information, contact Jerry Thomas at 773 256
2718. |
