Hip Hop Congress

HHC and Tavis

My blog should be chosen because it is a blog that not only presents
my perspective but the perspective of hundreds, if not thousands of
others throughout the United States. It’s not simply an individual
blog, but it is also a collective blog and so automatically I come to
the table as the representative of an organization and an extended
real time social network. I come to the table with the perspective of
a black man, but also a member of the Hip Hop Generation. Further,
I’ve been involved not just as a journalist, but as an artist, an
educator and community organizer. Lastly, I come from the west coast
and Silicon Valley, and a result my organization and political thought
process is shaped within the context of technology, innovation and new
possibilities. With that, my ability to contribute unique and
productive thought I believe is clear and present.

As is indicated by the website I am President and Executive Director
of a national non-profit organization that has been in existence for
over 10 years. As a result, I’ve had the opportunity to work in
several communities throughout the country in the West Coast,
Northwest, Midwest, South and East Coast. I’ve worked as a radio show
host, columnist, as an A& R of an independent label and youth programs
director. I’ve worked on political campaigns for candidates and issue
based campaigns as well as community based organizing campaigns. I’ve
worked and lived in black, white and Latino communities and have
struggled publicly with some of the more challenging questions of our
day.

Also, I come from Silicon Valley; a place where the innovation of the
last 20 years and the economic roller coaster of the last ten has had
an incredible impact on the communities that we work in. In many ways
I credit the very existence of our organization to the type of
creativity and faith in technology that has helped get Barack Obama
elected this past November. During the year, I was involved with
quite a few initiatives including the March For our Lives at the RNC
(horribly covered by mainstream media; fantastically covered by
independent media and bloggers).

As a whole, I find the concept of selling myself for this contest kind
of strange and arrogant, as what my job entails for the most part is
finding leaders and empowering the voices of others. However I believe
that this is a great opportunity for me, my organization and the
constituencies that we represent. Should I be chosen I would take the
opportunity as seriously as I possibly could to learn, to connect and
the push the whole of the African American community in America
forward in any way that I could. Thank You for this opportunity.