Mechelle Johnson
“I registered to vote because there are too many people who run for office who do not try to help our community. They make promises and do not keep them. So today, I will exercise my right to choose someone who I believe is sincere in helping the black community and any other community that needs support.”
Malik Yusef
(spoken word artist)
“I’m involved because I think it’s important for the issues of the hip-hop community to be addressed by a candidate of our choosing. (Q: What is your association with Kanye West?), My association with Kanye West is that I worked with him on his album and I’m nominated for a Grammy.”
Michael Breashears
“This is the right thing to do. If we don’t help us, nobody else is going to do it so we got to get up and do it ourselves.”
Bamani Obedele
“I’m here because I didn’t like the slogan “Vote or Die,” (referring to P. Diddy’s 2004 election slogan). So I can go with ‘Vote to Live’ and this is a progressive group of young people and it’s including the community that has been long neglected: the ex-offender and the recovery community. Just because you had a drug problem, just because you’ve been convicted doesn’t mean that you’re not a citizen and you don’t care about what goes on in your neighborhood and community. This is the best way to express it by organizing yourself, and I’m willing to bet that if they organize this group ?”young people, ex-offenders and recovery ?” you’re talking about an additional 500,000 voters on the voter rolls. I think the politics over the next couple of months is going to be very interesting, especially the 2007 mayoral race.”
Hip-hop producer, The Legendary Traxster
“I’m out here today to support “Vote to Live” a movement that we’re starting to bring the hip-hop community voice to; to these politicians and let them know we have a voice, we have a agenda and we have needs. If they don’t address our agenda then we will organize and take our votes and support whatever candidate who does support our agenda and will help us with our struggling communities.”
Zakiyyah S. Muhammad
“I’m here because when I heard that this was the youth putting this together, because I know this will be the group to make changes and they are our future. I know that change is going to come about with the young people. I wanted to show my support to the hip-hop community. When I find out the youth are getting ready to do positive things then I’m going to use a lot of my energy to work with them.”
