(New York, NY) September 30th, 2008- The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) today announced that it will join and support the efforts of the Hip-Hop Caucus (HHC) to register to vote (50,000) fifty thousand voters in one day. Tuesday, September, 30, 2008 is set as the target day that HHC’s “Respect My Vote” Get-Out-The-Vote campaign endorsed and led by TI, and in partnership with the Radio One Network will focus on getting thousands of new voter registrations completed in the sixteen markets across America where Radio One has radio stations including Dallas, Baltimore, Washington, and Cleveland. HSAN has Hip-Hop Team Vote constituencies in those and other markets such as New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Charlotte. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Co-Founder and President of HSAN stated, “We are pleased to join Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr. CEO of HHC, and TI to support the “Respect My Vote” national campaign to register voters on September, 30th. We will be on the radio, the Internet, and use every possible means of communication to stress the historic importance of getting thousands of people registered to vote.” Valeisha Butterfield, Executive Director of HSAN emphasized, “Young people in particular are energized and excited about being civically engaged this year. But we all know there are still millions of people in our communities that are still not registered to vote. September 30th gives us all another opportunity to concentrate our collective efforts to increase voter registration and that is why we are supporting this HCC special campaign.”

About Hip-Hop Caucus

The Hip Hop Caucus (HHC), a non-partisan organization, was established in September 2004, has created the “Respect My Vote Campaign” and is being led and endorsed by Hip Hop star T.I.. The Respect My Vote campaign, targets Young Americans ages 18-29 who did not attend college. Statistics show only 7% of Young Americans 18-29 who did not attend college, voted this past Super Tuesday and this is a target audience that is not being pursued by either campaign. In organizing and mobilizing around the elections HHC realized the critical need for a sustainable political organization that empowers the Hip Hop generation to participate in the policymaking process. HHC engages the Hip Hop generation, those born after 1964, through issue campaigns, events, and voter education. HHC works to broaden and revitalize a civil and human rights agenda for the 21st century that is embodied in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-class progressive movement. For more information, go towww.hiphopcaucus.org


About Hip-Hop Summit Action Network
Founded in 2001, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) is dedicated to harnessing the cultural relevance of hip-hop music to serve as a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the well being of at-risk youth throughout the United States. HSAN is the largest non-profit, national coalition of hip-hop artists, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents, and youth leaders united in the belief that Hip-Hop is an enormously influential agent for positive social change which must be responsibly and proactively utilized to fight the war on poverty and injustice. For more information, go towww.hsan.org.