Unify: 2nd Annual Hip Hop For Change Environmental Equity Summit

** FREE ALL AGES EVENT **

UNIFY: 2nd Annual ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY SUMMIT Ft. Immortal Technique

Greenpeace Action Warehouse

955 7th street, OAKLAND

ON SATURDAY, MAY 27

OAKLAND, CA - On Saturday, May 27, Hip Hop For Change, Sierra Club and Greenpeace present Unify: The 2nd Annual Environmental Equity Summit, an environmental justice event that provides a platform to discuss the specific needs of POC, and grassroots POC environmentalist groups. It will unite like-minded environmental organizations to connect, exchange ideas, and foster lasting relationships. Attendees of all ages will enjoy a diverse line-up of exhibitors, vendors, DJs, artists, and speakers committed to environmental justice. Live performances by revolutionary MC Immortal Technique, X-Clan, Khafre Jay, DJs, Davey D (Hardknock Radio/KPFA) and more!  Davey D will moderate the panel of speakers which includes Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, a representative from The Sierra Club, Henry Clark of West County Toxics, and more to be announced. This free all-ages event takes place at @ The Greenpeace action warehouse 955 7th street, Oakland CA, 94607. 2pm-9pm. All Ages. FREE w/ RSVP here: unify2.eventbrite.com

ABOUT HIP HOP FOR CHANGE

Hip Hop For Change is a non-profit organization that reclaims the Hip Hop genre by using it as a positive tool for cultural exchange. With Hip Hop values of peace, love, and unity at its core, HH4C: 1) organizes conscious music events to showcase progressive, local artists; 2) raises funds and collaborates with other organizations to address community issues; 3) uses Grassroots Activism and community-driven media to disseminate social justice education to the public; and 4) teaches Hip Hop/social justice education to Bay Area under-resourced youth, ages 14-24. Our multi-disciplinary approach serves to build community resilience, support local artists, empower local youth, and promote positive art.

http://www.hiphopforchange.org

ABOUT GREENPEACE

Founded in 1971, Greenpeace is the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promotes solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

ABOUT IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE

Immortal Technique is the voice of those victims to Government's lies and carnage.

A Revolutionary and intense rapper, Immortal Technique has toured the world, gracing publications like The Source, XXL, The Washington Post, Playboy and even featured on the cover of URB magazine. While his lyrics are controversial, they are definitely meaningful ideas and circumstances based on FACT. They are lyrics lived and seen through the eyes of Immortal Technique, a young but seasoned veteran and proven leader in the political and musical arena.

Immortal Technique has been touring the world after his previous release Revolutionary Vol. 2, including the Rock the Bells Tour for 3 years. This has kept him quite busy with the anticipation of his next release, "The 3rd World" growing steadily by the day.

The mix of street Hip Hop with the vivid landscapes of global struggle proves that world politics and music politics are almost one in the same. Expect to hear Immortal Technique's striking lyrics on street influenced production that occasionally fortifies him to show his bi-lingual versatility on the mic.

www.immortal-technique.com/

ABOUT Annie Leonard

Annie Leonard is the Executive Director of Greenpeace USA. Leonard began her career at Greenpeace in 1988 and has returned to help the organization inspire and mobilize millions of people to take action to create a more sustainable future together. She is based in San Francisco. During Leonard's previous tenure at Greenpeace, she was arrested for protesting a business that was exporting hazardous waste to South Africa under the apartheid regime and dumping it in a black community. Her animated film The Story of Stuff (2007), which describes the life cycle of material goods, blossomed into the story of stuff project. It has amassed millions of views in various languages and been used as educational materials.

ABOUT X-Clan

X-Clan is the group corporate America doesn’t want you to hear. They promote Black pride, unity, and self-awareness. Their work — 1990’s To The East, Blackwards, and 1992’s Xodus — were hard-hitting albums that addressed political and social issues with the goal of uplifting inner city youth. They instilled pride and social awareness. They wear African medallions and the colors of Black Nationalism — red, black and green —influencing artists such as dead prez. But to their credit, X-Clan provides a balance by delivering the group’s message while also having fun. While Public Enemy garnered most of the mainstream attention, X-Clan was just as influential.

ABOUT DAVEY D

Davey D is a Hip Hop historian, journalist, deejay and community activist. He's been down with Hip Hop since 1977 in the Bronx.  Later Davey D came out to Cali to go to school at UC Berkeley and started deejaying in the Bay Area. His mobile deejay work and community activism eventually lead him to deejaying at radio stations including KALX, KPFA and later KMEL. Currently, he's the webmaster for what is considered one of the oldest and largest Hip Hop sites on the web Davey D's Hip Hop Corner-- which can be found at www.daveyd.com. The writings on his website are frequently referenced and quoted by journalists, scholars and professors and fans from all around the world. He's been featured in documentaries, magazines, newspapers, toxics videos and TV news shows like; Rap City Rhapsody, CNN's Talk Back Live, ABC's Nightline, Australia's Lateline, BBC Radio, Internet Cafe, Computer Chronicles, BET Television, VH1 Television, Soul Beat TV, KRON TV, KTVU TV, Bay TV, KPIX TV, KBHK TV, The Tavis Smiley Show, to name a few.

www.daveyd.com

ABOUT DR HENRY CLARK

Henry Clark is the Executive Director of the West County Toxics Coalition, these citizens have been fighting toxins since 1986. The group is an outgrowth of the National Toxics Campaign.

The West County Toxics Coalition (WCTC) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), multi-racial membership organization founded in 1986 to empower low and moderate-income residents to exercise greater control over environmental problems that impact their quality of life in County Costa County, particularly West Contra Costa County (West County), in Northern California. The residents of Contra Costa County are faced with an ongoing struggle to eliminate the prevalence of environmental hazards resulting from the release of toxic chemicals by various industries in the area. The programs of WCTC empower residents, particularly those living in West County and the City of Richmond, to become actively involved in the development and implementation of environmental justice policies and programs that affect their communities. The August 2012 Chevron refinery fire in Richmond sent 15,000 to the hospital. The West County Toxics Coalition has been working to gain protections from another refinery explosion or fire.

ABOUT KHAFRE JAY

In Khafre Jay's mind, hip-hop and politics are synonymous – there could not be one without the other. On top of that, he happens to have an appreciation for nature, knowledge and symbolism.  “A lyricist cares about the ways words sound together,” he explains when defining what a lyricist is. “It’s all about the syncopation of your syllables and using those syllables like drums.”  Khafre grew up in the Bayview - Hunter’s Point District of San Francisco, California. He says that although there was a heightened level of violence in the area the sense of community was strong. His father was a patron of the arts and was known for being an actor.  Khafre says he was introduced to the stage and performances through acting. Khafre performed in musicals like, “God Don’t Like Ugly”, at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California.  Having performed in over 38 states and sharing stages with the likes of Method Man, Hieroglyphics and Casual, Khafre is all action. “I want to be heard by as many people as possible,” he says with an enormous ambition to succeed. He enjoys being in life’s fast lane, staying energetic and focused with an “I’ll show them” attitude.

http://www.khafrejay.com/

ABOUT EARTH AMPLIFIED

Earth Amplified unites hip-hop, reggae, dancehall, dubstep, ancient chant, soul and funk in their all original songs and bumpin’ live performances to support both social and environmental justice. With 100% positive lyrics, smashing beats, conscious rappers and danceable melodies, they have been performing the past couple of years at dozens of events with green themes in the Bay Area and beyond, including Green Festival in San Francisco, Earth Day, Santa Rosa and San Francisco, Fox Studios L.A.,The Maker Faire in San Mateo, Summer of Peace in Oakland, World One Festival in El Cerrito, and more. The have opened up for bands like Midnite, Blackalicious, and Rebirth Brass Band.

“This is music for our movement. Earth Amplified is putting the culture back in agriculture.” – Van Jones, Founder, Green For All, Former White House Advisor on Green Jobs, author of bestsellers, Green Collar Economy and Rebuild The Dream.

www.earthamplified.com

Peace and Blessings,

JP

Events & Media Director

HipHopForChange.org

facebook.com/hiphopforchange