Russell Simmons, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network Andrew Cuomo, Donna Lieberman and New York Civil Liberties Union Launch Next Phase of Rockefeller Drug Laws Public Awareness Campaign

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 2:00 PM
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Russell Simmons Donates $100,000 Down Payment to the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund to Help Stage Public Awareness Rally on the Unfairness of the Rockeller Drug Laws and to Register Youth Voters on August 30 During Republican National Convention

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Apr 13, 2004--Russell Simmons, Andrew Cuomo, Dr Benjamin Chavis and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and Donna Lieberman and the New York Civil Liberties Union announced today that the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund will co-sponsor a public awareness rally on August 30, 2004 on the first day of the Republican National Convention in New York City. The purpose of the rally is to raise public awareness about the unfairness of the Rockefeller Drug Laws and to register youth voters.

In a letter dated April 12, 2004 to the New York City Police Department from the NYCLU, a request was made on behalf of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund to hold a rally on 7th Avenue between 28th and 34th Streets from 2pm to 6pm on Monday, August 30, 2004.

Russell Simmons, Chairman of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund as a down payment to help defray costs of staging the rally.

Hip-Hop Team Vote, via www.hsan.org, is the national youth voter registration and Get Out The Vote initiative of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.

Russell Simmons asserted, ''We are not backing down on this important issue. We intend to raise public awareness by mobilizing tens of thousands of young people to register to vote and to speak out about the unfairness of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.''

Andrew Cuomo stated, ''The Rockefeller Drug Laws are blatantly unfair and discriminatory. We will not be silenced by the State`s prosecution of unjust `laws,` which would deprive us of our First Amendment rights and allow government to avoid public accountability.''

Donna Lieberman emphasized, ''We have a First Amendment right to hold this rally and we will not be intimidated by those who want us to be silent.''

Dr. Benjamin Chavis concluded, ''The hip-hop generation is about spitting truth to power. On August 30th, we intend to spit truth in the face of the injustice of the Rockefeller Drug Laws and to all of those who are misguided in their attempts to harass or intimidate us.''