Listen up. There are only 33 days to V-Day (Vote Day) on November 4, 2008. The entire world community is watching America. Democracy is always at it best when it is fully participatory. That is why everyday until V-Day should be taken with the utmost urgency to register more and more of the millions of people who are still not registered to vote.
It is a welcomed growing reality, therefore, to see the expanding list of hip-hop and R&B artists and activists step up to the plate of history and to use their celebrity to encourage and promote voter registration.
These gifted, talented and committed young hip-hop leaders are making a huge difference as voter registration is increasing across the United States as a direct result of their leadership, involvement, and strategic marketing and promoting the "value of the youth vote" in key markets throughout the nation.
Jay Z, Kanye West,TI, Russell Simmons, Diddy, Will Smith, Jermaine Dupri, Eminem, Kevin Lyles, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Will. I. Am, 50 Cent, Bow Wow, LL Cool J, Common, Jim Jones, Wyclef Jean, The Game, Master P, Ciara, MC Lyte, Chuck D, Doug E. Fresh, Rev. Run, Bun B, Rakim, Bakari Kitwana, Rev. Yearwood, M-1, Killer Mike, David Banner, John Legend, Fat Joe, Lil Mama,Valeisha Butterfield, Erykah Badu, Black Ice, Sway, and many others have positively penetrated the mindset of young adults and the hip-hop demographic about the importance of voting this year.
This coming weekend Jay Z will be during free concerts in Detroit and Miami geared to increasing voter registration. Russell Simmons and others will be in Cleveland while Bow Wow walks through cities in other battleground states getting people registered before the October 6th deadline to register to vote in 17 states.
The point here is timing and it is crucial. We all have an opportunity to "take back responsibility" right now if we follow the lead of those who are already out there in a big public manner making a difference. Everyone reading this blog should take a moment to email, call, speak to or step to someone that you know that is not registered to vote and get them to understand that every vote does count, but you have to be registered to vote first before the deadline in your particular state.
As Will. I. Am stated, "It time to take our government back." Register to vote now before it is too late. The COUNTDOWN TO CHANGE is a COUNTDOWN TO FREEDOM and a COUNTDOWN TO RESPONSIBILITY. Let's do this!!!!!
-Dr. Benjamin Chavis