For info contact Randy Fisher at HipHopSYC@aol.com or 917-567-9294.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON THE HIP-HOP SUMMIT YOUTH COUNCIL LAUNCHES OPERATION FLEET (FINANCIAL LITERACY, EMPLOYMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP & TRAINING), A 5 YEAR HALF BILLION DOLLAR INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES 325,000 JOBS TO CURB UNEMPLOYMENT AND GUN & GANG VIOLENCE
Dr. King Led A Movement To End Violence And Poverty Through Economic Justice And The Hip-Hop Against Gun & Gang Violence Initiative Will Strive To Do The Same
New York, NY—August 29, 2013—In recognition of the 50-year anniversary for the “March on Washington” and the implementation of new strategies to support our 13-year “war against gun and gang violence” the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council (HHSYC) with support from their Hip-Hop Against Gun & Gang Violence project launched Operation FLEET (Financial Literacy, Employment, Entrepreneurship & Training). Supporters include the Daymond John Academy, Geraldo At Large, Fishers of Men Restaurant, Super Fi Emporium, Dr. Jays and the Source Magazine. Over the years research has taught us that poverty and illiteracy are the root causes of gun & gang violence. We can’t ask young citizens to give up a life of crime without providing a tangible alternative like a job.
The 5-year, half billion-dollar initiative will employ and train 325,000 poor and disadvantaged citizens 14-26 years of age in NYC. The program will expand to Chicago, LA and other major cities where gun and gang violence is out of control. A major gang summit in Chicago is being planned with the Geraldo At Large show and Fox News Network as a leading media sponsors. It is unfortunate but still to this very day no significant long term employment program has been created on a local or national level that truly addresses the unemployment crisis amongst Black youth which can be as high as 50% in some communities. It’s been 50 years since the March on Washington, 49 years since the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and 48 years since the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the plight of minority youth is at epic proportions. African-American males are said to be an endangered species and Black-on-Black crime is a silent epidemic that is spiraling out of control.
Speeches, marching and government handouts are clearly not enough to solve an extremely complicated problem. To win the War Against Gun & Gang Violence we will use a public health and economic development approach that offers new innovative solutions that have been tested over the years yielding positive results. The patient is suffering from cardiac arrest and we now have a prescription for success. Our antidote focuses on poverty and illiteracy because by addressing the root cause we can hinder the eradication of future generations.
There are many issues in minority communities that must be addressed to preserve our children including: substance abuse, unemployment, the drop out rate, HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, obesity, poor health, Black-on-Black crime, gun and gang violence, recidivism, early childhood development, affordable housing, the destruction of family values, the moral decay of our youth, cultural enrichment and spiritual enlightenment. Through Operation FLEET we will use the power of the people, government, and the private sector to: achieve economic justice for young citizens; take back our communities from the criminals; improve public safety; and prepare young citizens with the right skills to be productive law abiding citizens.
As we reflect upon the 50-year anniversary it is important to know that Dr. King was killed in Memphis where he was planning a huge march for about 1,300 Sanitation workers seeking economic justice, job safety, better wages, benefits, and union recognition. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech he talked about the economic injustices dealt by America to Blacks. Here are excerpts from his famous speech:
“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they we signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note in so far as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice” ended Dr King.
From the encouraging wisdom of Dr. King to the lyrics of the world famous Wu Tang Clan, “Cash Rules Everything Around Me, CREAM gets the money;” and that is exactly what Operation FLEET is about to do for its participants. Dr. King was a social crusader who new that without economic justice there would be no peace in communities of color. The baton for economic justice has now been passed to the Hip-Hop Community and it’s now our task to make the dream of Dr. King a global reality and it all starts with Operation FLEET.
“As we commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the historic March on Washington and Dr. King’s earth-moving “I Have A Dream” speech I’m excited about being a part of Operation FLEET because any project that provides poor and disfranchised minority youth during a tough economy with employment and the proper training to move up the corporate ladder is going to be a winner in my book. It is my hope that through this project and the Daymond John Academy we will be able to help some participants acquire the necessary skills and contacts to “Display the Power” that will help them start their own business and finally take total control of their financial future,” ended “The Shark” Daymond John, star of the hit ABC TV Show “Shark Tank,” author, and founder of the globally recognized FUBU Apparel.
“Ignorance and Poverty are the root causes of gun and gang violence and through Operation FLEET, with support from the private sector, we will be able to finally put a dent in crime while providing our participants with the skills they need to be competitive in a new global economy. Jobs are important, but so is cultural and spiritual enlightenment, which will be an essential part of this project as well,” ended Charles Fisher, Founder, HHSYC.
Stated Randy Fisher, Executive Director, HHSYC “Through Operation FLEET we will be able to truly offer at-risk and disconnected youth and young adults a viable opportunity to turn their life around with jobs, training and internship opportunities. We can no longer wait on our elected officials to provide the funding to employ our young citizens. We wish U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders well on his 1.5 billion dollar Youth Jobs Bill and urge Congress to pass the legislation because it is definitely needed. In the mean time we will move forward to garner the necessary support from the private sector for Operation FLEET because its time for us to take control of our own destiny, especially when it comes to the safety and future of our youth and young adults.”
ABOUT THE HHSYC
The HHSYC was founded in July 2001 by Charles Fisher (also known as the former manager of LL Cool J, the Lost Boyz and co-discoverer of R. Kelly). The organization was created to help implement commitments made by record companies, artists, community leaders and elected officials at the historic 2001 Hip-Hop Summit in New York City. Participants are taught how to constructively use their time, talent and the Hip-Hop culture to improve social, political and economic conditions in their school, home and community. Randy Fisher is the organization’s Executive Director. For additional information, visit www.HHSYC.org.
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