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Thursday, January 20, 2011 | 9:13am
Russell Simmons,Celebrities, Artists & Politicians Join Forces in NYC ‘Peace Week’
Condemn Violence in the city amid reports of a spike in murders and violent crimes
@UNCLERUSH @wyclef @THEREVAL @mainohustlehard
Russell Simmons, Reverend Al Sharpton, HOT 97, Wyclef Jean, Michael Strahan, Cheryl “Salt” Wray, A.T. Mitchell’s Man Up, Inc., Congressman Gregory Meeks, Councilman Leroy Comrie, Jim Jones, Maino, Juelz Santana and others joined forces in unity to celebrate the 2nd annual Peace Week in New York City yesterday. The rally which was directed by Erica Ford’s I Love My LIFE/ LIFE Camp organization comes just as a New York Daily News article published this week showed that Violence in city housing developments spiked last year, led by a sharp increases in Bronx murders and shootouts in Harlem.
One of the precents highlighted by the article is PSA 8 in the Bronx which investigated 14 murders last year, up from two in 2009. There were 37 shootings at those houses, compared with 14 in 2009.
“People are animals here,” Jason Miller, 17, an admitted member of the “Inwood Jungle Kids” told the Post. “They hurt each other for no reason. You have to hang with the right crew. We’re the top crew so nobody messes with us.”
Its attitudes like this that necessitated Peace Week a week long celebration which kicked of on January 15th with a series of events and activities to promote peace among NYC youth across the five boroughs in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King.
“Peace Week is about each individual being that little shift,” Said one of the major contributors Russell Simmons. “Doing that little thing — that makes a difference in your own LIFE, and about getting people to believe that anything is possible. I am happy to be involved.”
I know you all must think I’m the biggest Hip Hop hater at this point but its because events like these that believe it or not characterized the birth of the Hip Hop culture are unfortunately too few and far between. The thing is that Hip Hop has such an important influence on the youth. These violent crimes are so often committed by those most influenced by the music, the clothing, the culture depticted by these artists. They may not see it but although I don’t feel they’re responsible for the criminal actions of these kids, they do have a responsibility to curtail it whenever possible. Celebrity should come at a price just like everything else.
I commend Ms. Ford and all those involved. Highbrid Nation supports your efforts. If you’re in the New York area this week please take part. PAZ!
FILED IN Need to Know
While hip hop has probably played a role in some of the violence going on (due to its influence on young people), in my opinion, it is a minor influence. Violence is a human condition. This society and the conditions that people endure and live under are major contributors to the violence. Life is not fair. For most of us. Yet, most of us deal with it without shooting others. However, look at society accross the board. People of ALL races kill. Mostly, the killings are being done by people in the lower socio-economic level. Poverty is passed from one generation to the next. Often, with poverty comes frustration, anger, hopelessness, ignorance, poor education, drug-addiction, untreated mental illness (because of the stigma), to name a few. “People are animals here,” said that 17 yr old you quoted, Juan. He is including himself in that statement because he is in gang as well. He feels as though he has to be in order to survive the “jungle.”
What can “decent” people do? I’m sorry, but these “Peace week” and “Stop the violence” rallies do nothing! it’s preaching to the choir. I don’t participate in them anymore, after more than 10 years of working the streets, talking to people, petitions, rallies, etc…I used to say that I talked to young people and spent more time with other people’s kids than my own because I know mine are not going to go out and shoot someone else, but I was trying to stop another kid from shooting mine….
It is a society-wide problem that goes back many, many years. This society glorifies violence, having material possessions at any cost, disrespects and dismisses civility and humbleness as “soft.” You better not walk around looking like a vic or you will be one!There is so much more to say, I’ll get off my soapbox now…thanx for letting me vent.
I agree with you on a few points but I’m not as pessimistic about the potential influence that Hip Hop has. While I agree that hip hop isn’t the reason people shoot guns or kill people I DO however feel that they can have an influence in those that may chose NOT TO!
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The fight the power movement has come and passed I agree. When we were young, PE had us fired up, when my mom was growing up it was the Black Panthers. This generation isn’t revolutionary. There is no inspiration for change. Hip Hop has that power. The major problem is the music is very drug friendly. We as a culture have always glorified weed. If you smoke weed cool but there are heads out here killing each other literally for the right to do so because hip hop believe it or not has created a demand for the product. The gun violence is often a jockey for position for the ability to supply that demand. Drugs = Violence point blank.
See that is the danger in buying the old okey-doke (the utopian America, dollar and a dream, we are all created equal line). It was proven in 1987 that the U.S. Government sold crack in the ghetto to finance illegal activities and wars (Iran-Contra hearings). NOTHING WAS EVER DONE! Then, created laws like the Rockefeller Law, to put us away for life: a dime of crack will get you years behind the wall, but a Kilo of powder gets you probation…WTF?! There is nothing equal and justice is not blind! Racism is institutionalized in the courts, industry, education, etc. The reason why an 18 year old has a better chance of survival in Iraq than he does in the projects in St. Louis or Brooklyn is because this madness is the residual effect of 400+ years of slavery and EVERYTHING else that has come as a result of it. You can’t keep a person’s face in the mud without getting dirty yourself. Amerikkka (what up 2NA$$TEE?!) is guilty of the greatest crime in mankind history (makes the Jewish Holocaust seem insignificant) and what we see today is directly related. I would be glad to explain further if you like.
As usual E.L. is right on point.
People love the violence, the uneccessary aggression, and if you are not violent and aggressive in a way that is unproductive you are soft and weak, and soon are a target because you are unlike the others.
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While I dont mean to shit on the efforts of others who try to achieve some sort of order or safe space for the kids, in their own particular way, rallies and marches and such, but when the last leg on the march is done, and the rally has ended and these celebs and organizers go back to there posh or semiposh settings, and these kids go back to the same squallid conditions, back the same single parent homes, the same gang ridden blocks , the same misrepresented neighborhoods. And there isn’t a rally or march big enough to change that…..
I disagree that demonstration doesn’t work it just doesn’t today with folks like Captain African America at the helm. (See: The Boy Who Cried Wolf) So what do you do? Just throw our collective hands up?
Lol, Captain African America!!
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I really dont know what to do… You cant make people do something they dont want to do, or see what they dont want to see. Anyone of these rappers possibly put in just as much time and work to be successful as most mid level professionals. But it seems most youth aren’t that ambitious to take the smallest of steps to get to either side. They rather emulate without putting in the time and work to fully achieve, or at least not in a postive way.
I wonder if there’s a way we can trick them into being more peaceful. I remember those gun buy-back programs to be very succesful. Maybe if we offer them a pair of skin tight designer jeans for their nine we can take a bunch of weapons off the street.
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All jokes aside, I think we need to teach more tolerance. Its the best preventative measure. Police have been able to predict when their will be a murder based on the temperature. Premeditated turf deaths aside, if we are able to begin teaching tolerance to our kids from an early age those “He stepped on my kicks” or “He’s boning my girl” feuds won’t escalate into deaths. Almost every murder I see on The First 48 could have been prevented with more patience and tolerance.
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Elementary school course curriculum in the hood should be geared toward tolerance and conflict resolution. Lets scrap Geography for a second. After all half of these kids will never have the opportunity to leave their neighborhood let alone see Asia. Instead they’ll be tested with a fight virtually every day. THOUGHTS?!
Yo, at my 9 year old’s elementary school, in the suburbs, he gets yoga at gym. YOGA! I wish they had that at P.S. 128!