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For
Immediate Release: |
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For
Further Information Contact: |
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May
13, 2005 |
Office
of The Attorney General
-
Peter C. Harvey,
Attorney General
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Tracy
Munford
609-341-3235
or 609-571-5101
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“Be
Powerful, Be Heard - Vote,
NJ!”
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NJ
Builds Bridges Between “Celebrities”
And Youth to Promote Voter Education And Awareness |
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Giants
Defensive End Osi Umenyiora #72 and Dru Hill
Artist & Producer Nokio Invite Newark
And North Jersey Youths 16-21 Years Old to
Join Them on Saturday in a Spoken Word Competition
on Voting |
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Winners
to Audition for HBO’s “Def Poetry
Jam” and Appear on BET’s Rap
City |
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New
York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora,
Dru Hill artist and record producer Nokio
and spoken word artist Flowmentalz will
co-host and serve as judges for New Jersey’s
“Be Powerful, Be Heard” Spoken
Word Competition on
Saturday, May 14, at Arts High School
in Newark.
New Jersey youth between the ages of 16
and 21 are invited to participate in the
New Jersey “POWER OF THE VOTE”
Spoken Word Competition at one of three
sites across the state. Umenyiora, Nokio
and Flowmentalz will be joined by Newark
Deputy Mayor Ras Baraka and a number of
other north Jersey “celebrities.”
Auditions are also being held at Camden
City High School and Trenton Central High
School, also at 9 a.m. You do not have
to be a student at a particular school
in order to participate. Participants
are encouraged to register in advance
by completing an application, available
on line at www.nj.gov/oag/elections/contest
Walk-in’s are welcome, but pre-registration
is encouraged.
Young people can participate in the Spoken
Word Competition by creating and presenting
a three minute poem about the importance
of voting. Participants will be judged
at the competition on May 14. The five
winners from each site will compete at
New Jersey’s second HIP-HOP SUMMIT
with Russell Simmons and the Hip-Hop Summit
Action Network (HSAN) on September 30
in Trenton. The overall winner on September
30 will appear on Black Entertainment
Television’s “Rap City,”
and will have the opportunity to audition
for Russell Simmons’ HBO series
“Def Poetry Jam.”
In
addition, the winner will participate
in a Public Service Announcement about
the importance of voting, which will air
across New Jersey for the month of October
preceding the New Jersey gubernatorial
elections.
New Jersey has become the first state
to utilize the popularity of hip-hop to
motivate, encourage and educate young
people about the importance of voting.
Perth Amboy was chosen as the site for
the kickoff of the 2005 “Be Powerful,
Be Heard” youth voter initiative,
in part, because of its historical significance
to voting. The first African American
to vote in the United States, following
passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870,
was Thomas Mundy Peterson, who resided
and cast that first vote in Perth Amboy.
To register for the competition or for
more information about the “Be Powerful,
Be Heard” initiative visit www.NJElections.org.
#
# #
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Subscribe
here to receive the Attorney
General's Weekly Update via
e-mail |
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