( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) Hip Hop Caucus President Rev. Lennox Yearwood Starts ‘Respect My Vote!’ Campaign
ENSPIRE Contributor: Gabrielle Maya
Hip Hop Caucus is a civil and human rights organization that empowers communities and has brought intersected politics with music to empower young voters. There has been a change, of course, with renewed excitement from Black voters on the Democratic front since Vice President Kamala Harris stepped up as the presidential candidate. Especially with the younger generations now eligible to vote in this year’s election, hip-hop has been used as a secret weapon. This fusion of hip-hop and politics has increased engagement and participation in voting through artists such as 50 Cent, Megan Thee Stallion, and Quavo, who have made news by speaking out on the upcoming election. President Rev. Lennox Yearwood, a minister, community activist, and U.S. Air Force found hip Hop Caucus veteran.
Hip Hop Caucus helps the culture’s role in the civic process impact communities affected by injustices. This nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-issue organization addresses core issues that impact underserved and vulnerable communities. It creates programs and campaigns that support and are solution-driven. It holds elected officials accountable through collaborative networks, shapes policy, and builds more diverse and influential movements to ignite positive change.
Rev. Yearwood entered Hip-Hop Politics as the Political and Grassroots Director for the Hip Hop Summit Action Network from 2003 to 2004. In 2004, he was the critical architect of P. Diddy’s “Vote or Die!” campaign in the run-up to the 2004 Presidential Election. To carry out the efforts on election day and beyond, he founded the Hip Hop Caucus in 2004.
Rev. Yearwood shares the importance of involvement in politics, especially for Gen Z individuals who can now register and vote. He discusses the purpose of the Hip Hop Caucus, how music brings everyone together in a political setting, how the Hip Hop Caucus can educate new voters through music, the recruiting process, and the strategies and efforts in this year’s election.
Usually, politics is seen as a severe and intense discussion, especially among Gen Z and young voters today. When did you get this creative idea that the power of music brings all people together and can be used in a political setting? How has the Hip Hop Caucus shifted how we view politics?
Founded in 2004, the organization aimed to connect the hip-hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change. Hip Hop Caucus emerged from seeing how hip-hop could be an effective tool for speaking out about voting, voter rights, and voter education. Hip Hop Caucus has remained a non-partisan organization by standing firm on the belief that they endorse politicians who endorse the black community and have people of color’s best interests at heart.
The circulation of Megan Thee Stallion’s performance and words has left an impression on young Black and voters of color. Through music artists and the Hip Hop Caucus’s example, where do we go from here to educate new voters?
Hip Hop Caucus launched the Respect My Vote! Artivist Class of 2024 last month. The inaugural ‘Artivist Class’ features artists from across disciplines who merge activism with their craft to educate people about political and social issues and mobilize people to vote. GRAMMY-nominated recording artist “Tank” from Tank and the Bangas, actress Angelica Ross (FX’s American Horror Story, and The Recording Academy’s Vice President of DEI Ryan Butler are just a few selected to represent the organization and fully push the campaign forward ahead of the election.
Rappers like Megan Thee Stallion are responsible for leading their fans and core audience to human rights issues. Our Artivist class is another approach to meeting people where they are to educate them. We are supporters of all artists who empower communities to vote no matter who their candidate of choice may be.
What is the recruiting process for the Hip Hop Caucus?
When recruiting influencers and celebrities for the Hip Hop Caucus, we aim to understand their journeys and what issues are most important to them, especially during election years when these issues are constantly discussed. Hip Hop Caucus also offers helpful resources and education so that when they do speak about these topics, they have the most information possible. While working with influencers and celebrities, we find ways that they can use their talents, expertise, and platforms for the issues they are passionate about.
What are the strategies and efforts now regarding this year’s election?
This election cycle, the Hip Hop Caucus aims to collect 50,000 voter pledges and register 25,000 voters across 12 states through the Respect My Vote! Campaign. We incorporate a mix of relational organizing, digital organizing, influencer organizing, events, and earned media strategies. This year, we’re focusing on several target states, including Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Alabama, California, and Wisconsin. In the long term, the Respect My Vote! The campaign aims to establish a culture of civic engagement, empower community leaders to be strategic messengers for critical equity and justice issues, and leverage the collective power of the Hip Hop Caucus’ constituency for policy victories.
Besides increasing the votes from Black voters and young voters of color, what other initiatives does the Hip Hop Caucus support and bring?
During NYC Climate Week, we celebrated the Green Carpet Premiere of the short film “UNDERWATER PROJECTS,” a documentary focused on the coastal urban flooding in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, where the world’s most extensive naval base is vulnerable to sinking. The insufficient flood walls end where a housing project and a historic African American community begin. We also kicked off the virtual “We Shall Breathe” Summit before the premiere. The summit highlighted the interconnected struggles for climate justice, economic justice, and voting rights through the perspectives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities in the U.S. South and the Global South. Performances included singer Jade Novah, rapper & motivational speaker Yellopain, and musician AY Young.
We’re also gearing up for a second season of our Official Ignorance podcast, which examines Deaths In Custody. We also have our ongoing Bank Black and Green campaign encouraging Black-owned banks to divest from the fossil fuel and mass incarceration industries.
How did the Respect My Vote! Campaign start and how has it grown? What elevations have been made?
The Respect My Vote! Campaign started in 2008 as a multifaceted and integrated voting campaign that included voter education, voter registration, get out to vote (GOTV) activities, voter protection, and issue advocacy. It focused on returning citizens (people with felony records). The campaign is centered on power building and engages people across multiple issues, including voting rights and democracy, civil and human rights, climate and environmental justice, and economic justice. This year is our sixth midterm election cycle and tenth election cycle overall.
We’ve grown to include some of today’s most popular music artists in our campaign, like Common, Keke Palmer, and Ty Dolla $ign. Technology was very different back in 2008 compared to where we are today, so we integrate social media and various platforms to reach our audiences where they are, with the mission to educate them on their right to vote.
Could you describe what happens at a Hip Hop Caucus event? What can communities and visitors expect at these events?
Hip Hop Caucus will always ensure that people leave our events educated and equipped with the knowledge, tools, and resources to be well-informed citizens who can make impactful decisions. We help those interested in voting learn when, where, and how they can vote. Beyond that, we always provide a good time. Politics and the issues on the ballot are heavy enough. There’s always room to learn and have fun while doing this. We bring in all forms of creative artists that use their platforms for activism.
Singers, spoken word artists, rappers, dancers, painters, and musicians all have a place at our events because activism and creativity are intertwined. Hip-hop has always been at the forefront of justice and civil rights since it was first introduced in the 1970s. Civil Rights groups were serious about politics being personal, meaning the policies in place would directly affect our lives across all disciplines. Artistry is a form of protest and resistance, so we incorporate education and creativity into one place.
What is the push young voters need to vote for this year’s election?
Gen Z is looking for their voices to be heard and included in the issues plaguing this country because they recognize they will be the ones dealing with the lasting effects in the long term. For them to feel valued, they need to be welcomed to the table as active participants and the country’s future leaders. They should be noticed. Once younger voters believe they are part of the bigger conversation in America, this will push them to exercise their right to vote and create substantial change.
Young people have been leading the fight for climate justice and racial justice for years. Without their tireless commitment to fighting for all communities and envisioning a better world, the battle for climate justice would not have been possible. That’s why it is so important that we meet young people where they are and work on the issues that matter most to them.
Hip Hop Caucus has an award-winning nonpartisan Respect My Vote! Campaign. This campaign educates, registers, and mobilizes Black voters and young voters of color. This year denotes Respect My Vote’s 10th election cycle, which has enlisted support from artists and personalities such as Charlamagne The God, Rick Ross, TI, Common, Keke Palmer, Ty Dolla $ign, Ray J and Amber Rose.
Hip Hop Caucus is one of the organizations out there that is helping shape the political route for newcoming voters through music and other endeavors. Other music artists who have portrayed pivotal moments during the Democratic National Convention included Lil Jon and Hip-Hop DJ, DJ Cassidy. For more information on the Hip Hop Caucus, visit their site at https://hiphopcaucus.org/.
You can join by clicking here to get involved or learn more about the campaign. Follow their Instagram to keep up with updates on the Respect My Vote Campaign.
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