The United Justice Coalition, the philanthropic arm of Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation, is set to host its inaugural social justice summit this summer.
Per UJC’s official website, the event “will bring together leaders, experts, and advocates who are committed to working together in the spirit of social and racial justice to enact change in the following areas: families impacted by police violence, laws/policies, voter registration, education, civic action, and different spheres of influence including media, entertainment, and technology.”
Featured guests and speakers include The Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne Tha God, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Dream Corps founder Van Jones, Until Freedom co-founder Tamika Mallory and professor and author Michael Eric Dyson. The event will also boast town halls, networking opportunities and will touch on various topics including—but not limited to—“criminal justice reform, mental wellness and political and civic engagement,” according to ABC.
In a statement sharing the news, Roc Nation’s Managing Director of Philanthropy Dania Diaz told ABC: “It is an opportunity for people to really learn about issues that impact their communities — issues that are going to inevitably come up in midterm elections — and hopefully, it’ll drive action. At the very least, to get more people connected to what’s happening locally in their communities, but also, you know, getting them to register to vote, first and foremost. And to recognize that there are networks of folks and organizations that they can lean into for support and for greater resources.”
She later added, “If you think about it from a lyrical standpoint and from just a cultural standpoint, the voices that drive hip hop and the music and the lyrics and the experiences that are brought to the table are really largely from a social and racial justice lens,” she said. “And so I think that when we talk about hip hop, as a vehicle to move culture, it’s also a vehicle to address social justice issues and systemic problems.”
The United Justice Coalition Inaugural Summit goes down Saturday, July 23 in New York City. For more information on how to register, visit unitedjusticecoalition.com.