National Urban League and Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network Launch Hip Hop Reader Web Site March 6

3/2/2004

From: Max Smith of The National Urban League, 212-558-5371 e-mail: msmith@nul.org

News Advisory:

National Urban League and Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network Launch Hip Hop Reader Web Site March 6

WHO:

Marc H. Morial, president & chief executive officer of National Urban League; Russell Simmons, chairman, Hip Hop Summit Action Network; Reverend Run, of Run-DMC; Howard Dodson, director, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and Diana Lam, deputy chancellor of New York City Board of Education

WHAT:

Host launch rally for WWW.HIPHOPREADER.COM http://WWW.HIPHOPREADER.COM, a new Hip Hop-oriented Website to engage New York City public high school students in reading and discussing books, poetry, lyrics and issues pertinent to their lives. WWW.HIPHOPREADER.COM, http://WWW.HIPHOPREADER.COM, is a joint project between the Urban League and Russell Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network. Over 500 New York City public high school students are expected. Plus, on-site student registration, panel discussion with Rap artists, and live DJ.

New York City public high school students who register with the site and participate in the reading program can compete for prize redeemable points. Prizes include game systems like the Microsoft X-box, Def Jam University jackets, Phat Farm gear, Sean Jean and FUBU clothing, Broadway tickets and movie tickets.

WHERE:

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, at 135th Street.

WHEN:

Saturday, March 6, 1-4 P.M.

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The Urban League is the nation's largest community-based movement empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. The National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the nonprofit, nonpartisan movement, while Urban League affiliates operate in more than 100 cities in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN), the largest non-profit, non-partisan national coalition of hip-hop artists and recording industry executives, was founded in 2001 by Russell Simmons. The organization is dedicated to harnessing the cultural relevance of hip-hop music while serving as a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to the well being of "at- risk" youth throughout the United States.