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Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

Celebrating Roxbury: Hip Hop Summit



In Boston and other cities, the Hip Hop Summit network coordinated voting registration drives among young people in the African-American community.


Dr. Benjamin Chavis and Minister Don Mohammed
Dr. Benjamin Chavis and Minister Don Mohammed.

- Anthony W. Lanier, Photographer
The Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College, site of voter registration activities
The Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College, site of voter registration activities.

- Anthony W. Lanier, Photographer
“Free,” an entertainer from Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, at the Hip Hop Summit.
“Free,” an entertainer from Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, at the Hip Hop Summit.

- Anthony W. Lanier, Photographer
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Boston 2004
 The 2004 Democratic National Convention was held in Boston and nominated John Kerry for President. On the first day of the convention, the Boston Hip-Hop Summit Youth Voter Registration Event was held in Roxbury, one of several events in 23 cities that registered nearly one hundred thousand new voters.

The Hip Hop Summit Network
 The Hip Hop Summit network was founded in 2001 to leverage the influence of Hip Hop music and artists in the cause of social change. In Boston the Hip Hop Summit organization worked with the local voter registration organization Dunk the Vote as well as the NAACP, and the Urban League to register voters between the ages of 18 and 35.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California visited Boston to encourage voter registration.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California visited Boston to encourage voter registration.
- Anthony W. Lanier, Photographer
A photo of Andre 3000 and Reverend Run.
Star Power: The registration event featured appearances by Andre 3000 of the band Outkast that won a Grammy for the 2003 song “Hey Ya!” and “Reverend Run.” A member of the influential and ground breaking hip-hop group “Run-DMC,” Joseph Simmons became a minister and acquired a new persona as Reverend Run.
- Anthony W. Lanier, Photographer

Hip Hop Summit events included appearances in various cities by Beyonce, Eminem, Will Smith, LL Cool J, P Diddy, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, and Ice Cube.