Rap Sessions 2008 National Tour: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Saturday, April 19, 2008
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1100 Grainger Hall
455 N Park St
Madison, WI 53706
Map

Rap Sessions 2008 National Tour will bring important public conversations about civic engagement, public policy, politics, culture, gender, race, and community empowerment to colleges, universities and communities across the country. This year’s forum, featuring leading hip-hop intellectuals, will discuss the significance of electoral politics and civic engagement to the hip-hop community.

The panel will feature M-1, half of the political, hip-hop duo Dead Prez; Billy Wimsatt, Executive Director of The League of Young Voters; Angela Woodson, Director of Outreach for the Ohio Governor’s Office of Faith-based Initiatives; Jeff Johnson, Executive Director of Truth is Power; Rosa Clemente, a community organizer and journalist; and Maya Rockeymoore, President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions. The panel will be moderated by Bakari Kitwana, a journalist, activist and political analyst.

This year’s Rap Sessions will focus on the 2008 presidential election. Live hip-hop performances from selected poets, MCs and DJs will transform the standard town hall meeting into a multi-media symposium that both celebrates hip-hop’s origins and further advances the cultural movement it produced. Coordinators will also identify specific political issues affecting each local community or state, invite participation from local hip-hop personalities and tailor the discussion accordingly, making each presentation uniquely relevant. Each event will feature a live dj, end with a question and answer session, and be followed by author book signings. In its third year, Rap Sessions’ ultimate vision is to bring a vibrant, virtual community center to cities across the country, equipped with the resources and content to both spark lively debate and excite youth about civic engagement in 2008 and beyond.

Refreshments will be served. Sponsored by Campus Progress.
For more information, please email speakers@campusprogress.org.