The Respect My Vote Campaign is making major efforts to get people of the Hip-hop community to get out and vote. This 2016 Hip Hop Caucus campaign strives not only to bring people out to vote, but to also spread awareness of the issues facing the community and how individuals can make a difference.
“A lot of times in our community we discuss all of the problems,” said Respect My Vote Campaign spokesperson Charlamagne tha Great, “and one of the solutions could possibly be voting.”
Too many times we hear stories about the injustices of our country, but it’s very surprising to know how many people in this country are not registered to vote. No, voting is not going to magically make all major issues disappear, but it can make a significant difference.
The campaign has created four programs in order to reach the goals for its cause: Strengthening Democracy, Climate Change and Environmental Justice, Civil and Human Rights and Economic Empowerment.
Respect My Vote was created by the Hip Hop Caucus, which is a non-profit organization. The org seeks to engage the Hip-hop community in civic action to promote positive change. It was created by combining four other already existing organizations, created by leaders in Hip-hop, that all served a similar purpose.
This campaign has reached out to people all over the country and has recruited notable Hip-hop celebs as its spokespeople. Some of the 2016 representatives include rappers Vic Mensa and Kap G, Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star Erica Dixon, the Breakfast Club’s co-host Charlamagne Tha God, Sway’s Universe and many more.
Respect My Vote is using many resources to get the word out to the community. Currently, the campaign’s representatives are on Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa’s High Road Tour spreading awareness across the country and helping people register to vote.
If people are unable to catch them on tour, the campaign’s website, http://respectmyvote.com, is also a great tool to learn more about voting. The website features information and instructions on voting for every individual state in the country. It also has links to every state’s voter’s registration page. In addition, there’s a store on the site where viewers can buy Respect My Vote t-shirts. All proceeds from the shirt sales go to support the campaign’s effort to get ex-offenders to vote.
Voting has always been one of the most important rights American citizens have, yet so many people do not take advantage of the opportunity. Respect My Vote campaign is striving to change this, specifically in the Hip-hop community. It has already made a huge impact since its launch with T.I. in 2008. The idea is to help raise awareness and to bring the power back to the people.
In this year’s election American citizens will be faced with the choice to vote or not to vote. Respect My Vote 2016 will help encourage the people to make the right decision and to use their vote to truly bring change to this country. So get out there and and register to vote!