In a significant collaboration, Hip Hop 4 Peace, the UNESCO Center for Peace, and the United States Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers, and Associations are set to host “Rap 4 Peace: A Hip-Hop Gun Violence Awareness Conference” on Sunday, June 2, 2024. Coinciding with National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the event will be held at Shutters On The Beach in Santa Monica, California, and will be hosted by Fox 11 anchor Christine Devine.
The conference aims to address the urgent issue of gun violence through the cultural lens of hip-hop. Commencing with registration and check-in at 8:00 am PDT, the opening ceremonies will begin at 10:00 am PDT with distinguished speakers including Guy Gjoken, Chairman of the US Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers, and Associations, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Katannia Plummer-Mitchell, President, Latin American and the Caribbean, UNESCO. Also slated to speak are Gabin Ahogbedji Allognon, President, African Federation, UNESCO, and Charlotte Austin Jordan, a mother who lost two children to gun violence, delivering the keynote address.
Insightful sessions on gun violence, mindset and mental wellness, and guns and vulnerable communities will follow, featuring esteemed panelists such as Lil Eazy E of Ruthless Records, NFL player Jaylon Johnson, and mental health experts including Angelina Ruffin, PhD, Managing Director at Kaiser Permanente Center For Gun Violence Research & Education. The conference will conclude with a special panel led by DJ Battlecat and a gala where the President’s Volunteer Service Award will be presented to individuals making exceptional contributions to volunteerism and peacebuilding, including Chuck D, Jon Tilli, Dr. Stephon Alexander, Dr. Angelina Ruffin, and Tina Marie Tyler. Sponsors include Deutsche Bank and Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Research and Education. Tickets are available for purchase online.
“This event examines the issue of trauma as an underlying cause of gun violence in Black, Hispanic, and vulnerable communities. Hip-hop was born from historic and systemic trauma, and serves as both a mechanism for healing and a catalyst for change. Peace is the foundation of hip-hop culture and should be amplified on National Gun Violence Awareness Day,” stated event creator and executive producer, Tina Marie Tyler.
Public Enemy Founder, Chuck D, also calls for peace through hip-hop, “This nation’s normalized behavior of gun violence is not normal. Hip-hop can, and should, lead the way to bring peace into our neighborhoods.”
You can get more information on the event here.
