FAMU welcomes Hip-hop Congress as an official organization

 

  The FAMU Chapter of Hip-hop Congress is officially certified as an organization on campus.

   Athena Griffith, chapter head and founder of the Hip-hop Congress, has been working on the organization’s recognition for three months and on Sep. 3 she turned her passion and admiration for Hip-hop into an accredited association.

   Under the wing of director Kawachi Clemons and the Institute for Hip-hop and Music Industry Studies, Hip Hop Congress has recruited its executive board and has a tentative calendar of events to promote and educate the campus of the political and analytical side of Hip-hop.

Hip-hop Congress (HHC) is a national institute and has chapters all over the country. Each collegiate chapter must abide by certain guidelines and criteria to maintain a title.  Like the five elements of Hip-hop: DJing, emceeing, graffiti art, b-boying and knowledge of culture, the HHC also has five main areas in which the organization works to improve the current social conditions.  Knowledge of culture and community development are just two of the five main areas. 

  “I am ecstatic about this new organization, Hip Hop Congress, to come to FAMU,” said Griffith, a fourth-year business administration student. “It’s like my baby. I have been in love with Hip-hop for as long as I can remember and bringing this club to the school is a huge accomplishment for me.”     

  The mission statement of the Hip-hop Congress said, “The Hip Hop Congress provides the Hip-hop generation and the post Hip-hop generation with the tools, resources and opportunities to make social, economic and political change on a local, regional and national level. Hip-hop Congress is the product of a merger of artists, activists and students, music and community. It is significant because it provides one of few paths for highly creative and often disenfranchised people where they can channel their energy into a strong and organized force aimed at improving their community.”

Moyenda Duncan, events chair of HHC, said he and his committee are diligently working on an event for the HHC to host. 

  Some events the HHC plans on having include, Black College Music Conference, Hip-hop seminars, Def Poetry Jam, Hip-hop cinema and cyphers/DJ battles. HHC will co-host the Black College Music Conference during this year Homecoming week.

  HHC is still looking for fellow Hip-hop lovers to add to the organization. They have general body and interest meetings at least once a month to recruit new pioneers to the club.

 “The love I have for Hip-hop and what it has done for society since the 80’s made me the perfect candidate for the recruiter,” said Olivia Hartley-Belle, recruitment chair of HHC. “I go above and beyond to make sure we are a strong team to support this group.”

  The Hip-hop Congress has just began but it is busy working to make a long lasting name on FAMU’s campus and show that Hip-hop is more than raps and rhymes.

For more info or to join the Hip-hop Congress, contact Athena Griffith at agriffith11@hotmail.com.