The Power Generation Conference on Sept. 5, headlined by hip-hop superstars Andre “3000” and Ludacris as well as Ambassador Andrew Young, is the Collective Renaissance Guild’s way to answer President Barack Obama’s urgent call to serve the community and the nation. Taking place at the Memorial Arts Building in the Woodruff Arts Center, the event will also feature a keynote address by Killer Mike, celebrity autograph signings and performances by DTP’s Rudy Currence, Verse Simmons and Dance Canvas.The Power Generation seeks to get “Generation X” to become more involved in politics, civic organizations and the arts. The Power Generation Conference is one of the many programs put on by the Collective Renaissance Guild, a year-old nonprofit organization founded by accomplished community advocates Terrinee Briggs and Christine White.“The Collective Renaissance Guild is a collective organization comprised of 30-something Power Generation professionals focused on infusing arts and culture, philanthropy, and social responsibility into the hip-hop generation,” says Briggs. “We came together as a think tank group with other guild members and really just wanted to do more to focus on bringing awareness to the arts and giving back and being a part of the community in the civic manner, post-Obama.”
White says the Power Generation, often derisively referred to as Generation X, is not the politically apathetic and self-absorbed demographic as they are popularly but erroneously portrayed.
“One of the misnomers of our generation is that we are politically impotent, silent [and] non-participatory in the civic movement. I think that what has happened is that we have a different way of participating. We have a different way of showing support,” White said.
Briggs and White also said the event, from 3 – 8 pm, will include a 6 p.m. red carpet affair, an iPod downloading station, a deejay, and 40 nonprofit organizations on hand to harness and nurture the Power Generation’s uniquely artistic and civic-based energies.
“We are [a] subculture – it started as a subculture – but [it] became the dominant national and international culture that we call hip-hop. So our presence is not necessarily recognized, but we are in the field … we just have a different way of doing it. But what needs to happen [is] we need to streamline our passion and streamline our desire to be involved in our community and combine them with more traditional roles,” White continues. “[This is] so that we can be effective not only in the way we give back by helping the people we know and helping the people around us and on the Internet, but also through traditional ways that are also effective.” – terry shropshire
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| Ludacris |
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| Andre 3000 | Ambassador Andrew Young |
