Peace John,
Today, I'm wishing each and every one of you a very happy 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop!
Exactly 50 years ago, Hip Hop was born at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, right here in the Bronx. That's when DJ Kool Herc and his sister Cindy Campbell held a Back to School Jam and combined DJing and emceeing to create a brand-new art form.
Since then, Hip Hop has changed the world. That's why I'm sponsoring a resolution to officially designate August 11 as Hip Hop Celebration Day, August as Hip Hop Recognition Month, and November as Hip Hop History Month. It already passed the Senate, and now I need you to show your support so we can get this through the House and make it happen!
| SIGN ON |
Hip Hop changed my life.
I can't tell you what it felt like to first hear that music as a kid. Hip Hop taught me more than school curriculum ever did. It gave me knowledge of self. It taught me politics. It gave me a foundation for understanding the issues that I fight for in Congress to this very day.
This album right here propelled the rest of my life.
As an educator in the Bronx, I included Hip Hop in my lesson plans and my school as much as I could. I wanted my students to hear their own lives and experiences reflected back to them and understand that this art was for them. You better believe my students were studying Big Daddy Kane and Brand Nubian!
Because listen: Hip Hop can teach us as much as any history book. We just need to recognize its history, heritage, and power.
| SIGN ON |
Peace and love,
Jamaal
Me getting down at a Doug E. Fresh show!
