Diddy, Rev Run & Nick Cannon to kick off Black Male: Re-Imagined
December 5, 2010 5 CommentsThe Harlem Children’s Zone, American Values Institute, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations Campaign for Black Male Achievement host a community town hall discussion to kick off Black Male: Re-Imagined—a national summit to address the negative perceptions and associations of black men and boys in American society.
The town hall conversation will feature an intergenerational group of artists who live at the intersection of culture and social change, who will explore questions such as:
* What role does art and culture play in advancing social justice?
* Does the desire for social change drive what we see in culture or do cultural shifts bring about social change?
* How does media impact the way we see each other and ourselves?
* What role can media influencers like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Kanye West play in transforming and challenging the misperceptions of black youth and our own self-image?
Our hope is that this rich dialogue will empower black youth to use art and culture to transform self-images and empower communities to create change.
Speakers
* Sean “Diddy” Combs, CEO, Bad Boy Entertainment
* John O’Neal, Founder and Artistic Director, Junebug Productions
* Nick Cannon, Actor, Comedian, Musician, Writer and Producer
* Anna Deavere Smith, Playwright and Founder, Anna Deavere Smith Works (invited)
* Janelle Monae, Artist (invited)
* Reverend “Run” Simmons, Artist (invited)
* Diggy Simmons, Artist (invited)
* Ann Beeson, Executive Director, U.S. Programs, Open Society Foundations (moderator)
View the event live at FORA.tv.
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!! THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES, STRONG BLACK MEN TO UPLIFT AND MOTOVATE STRONG BLACK MEN!!!!!! YOU ALL SHOULD CALL ON TYRESE GIBSON AS WELL HE WORKS WITH/FOR THE KIDS!!!! NICK CANNON GOD BLESS YOU IN ALLLLLLL YOU DO! (IM YOUR TWITTER FRIEND..THROFAITHBYGRAC)
@CHERYL NEWSOM
I AGREE 100% AND I LOVE SEEING THIS!!! WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DIDDY, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE PANNEL. DIDDY CAN'T TEACH ME OR ANY OTHER BLACK MAN ABOUT REPSECTING A THING BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME!! LMAO ANYWAY……NICK AND REV RUN ARE DEFINATELY THE EPITOME OF BLACK MALE FIGURES THAT YOUNG BLACK MEN SHOULD ASPIRE TO BE LIKE, ALONG WITH OUR PREZ AND DUDES LIKE WILL SMITH AND DENZEL W. GOOD WORK NICK CANNON
Not throwing shade at Diddy bcus I can respect SOME of his business moves and hustles but the image he puts out when it comes to a family structure and respect for women is different. Thats all. Sorry for all the caps!!
I totally agree with you. He isn't the best person to consult when it comes to family values and commitment, but he is a smart businessman. I've read some of the tweets concerning this event which pertain to Nick. I think a lot of people now realize there is more to Nick than what they thought. Nick has my respect and is a "real model" as he says. We need more community town hall discussions like this, both in the black and white communities.
Got you BlackLove, Go Nick and Go Reverend Run, true rolemodels for African-American men!