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23
SEPTEMBER 2013
ENTERTAINMENT &
CULTURE
Music
Non-Profit Gives Young
People 'Hip Hop 4 Life'
/
THE BROOKLYN BASED ORGANIZATION HELPS TEENS REALIZE THEIR DREAMS USING
RAP AS A TEACHING TOOL
By P R I N C E S S
GA BBA RA
9
RELATED TAGS
hip hop
non profit
hip hop 4 life
tamekia flowers
A
sk Tamekia Flowers, founder of not-for-profit
organization Hip Hop 4 Life, to explain why she loves a
genre that often gets a bad rap (no pun intended) and she'll
tell you, “It is a way of life, the inspiration behind a lot of
the good–and sometimes not so good–things that happen
in our community. It is the voice for the many of us who at the time were
voiceless.”
That, along with the vital health and life issues faced by adolescents living in
lower-income communities and predominantly urban areas served as the
inspiration behind her organization, which is dedicated to providing young
people, regardless of race and class, with the skill sets required to become
successful members of society.
“Through our programs, students learn the non-cognitive skills that will
build their capacity to combat the challenges associated with student
achievement, cultivate post-secondary aspirations, and provide them with
life skills that will prepare them for their transition into adulthood,” Flowers
says.
Hip Hop 4 Life launched back in 2002, following the death of Jam Master
Jay, and has been going strong ever since while also gaining the support of
several celebrities along the way, including MC Lyte, Gabrielle Union,
Dwyane Wade, Nick Cannon and Michaela angela Davis.
MC Lyte first became involved with the organization a few years ago
when she was invited to speak at one of their events.
“Their commitment to the youth is what interests me the most,” she says.
“There aren’t too many organizations that we at the Hip Hop Sisters
Foundation partner with, and to have a like-minded group of women who
are doing amazing work makes it a win-win situation.”
What makes Hip Hop 4 Life unique, according to Flowers, is their ability to
provide a variety of programs that infuse the art, influence and community
of hip-hop while also engaging and connecting with the youth they serve.
“Hip-hop [and] popular culture is used to engage the youth and provide
them with real-world examples/situations [to help support] the content we
are teaching,” she says. “We also involve hip-hop [and] the arts in our
overall programming themes and projects/presentations.”
One of Hip Hop 4 Life’s core programs is the Empowerment Team Shades of
Beauty Mentoring Program for Girls.
In this two-year program, tenth-and eleventh-grade students receive life
skills training, college and career planning, health and nutrition workshops,
as well as the opportunity to plan events and community service projects.
After graduating from the program, alumnae may continue their
involvement by becoming youth leaders and peer educators. They also
receive internship referrals and college/job recommendations by Hip Hop 4
Life senior executives.
Rosa Delgado, alumna of the Empowerment Team and freshman at
Morrisville State College, says the program has greatly impacted her life.
“The experience has been enriching, empowering and motivating. It’s helped
boost my self-esteem, and now I can pass it forward to upcoming students,”
she says. “Now that I’m part of the [alumnae], I hope to continue to assist
other youth in any possible way so they can experience similar opportunities
that I have embarked.”
Hip Hop 4 Life’s other programs include The Rhythm, Follow the Leader
and Man UP!, which promotes self-esteem, sexual health, goal-setting,
conflict resolution and healthy living among young men.
In the long run, Flowers envisions expanding the organization to
Philadelphia, PA, taking a group of women from the Empowerment Team on
a service and cultural exchange to Ghana, as well as bringing a community
center to her hometown of Brooklyn, NY.
“It will be a safe space for young people to come and participate in our
programs, and attain the necessary skill sets required for their personal and
professional success,” she says.
Although Flowers has received a lot of positive feedback over the past 11
years regarding Hip Hop 4 Life, she says it never gets old.
“The most rewarding part is to have the young people we serve share with
my staff and I how much the program has benefited them, and how much it
has positively impacted their lives…[It] is truly priceless,” she says.
In the upcoming years, Hip Hop 4 Life’s mission is to continue providing
youth with exciting and informative programs that help them grow and
reach their full potential.
“We are passionate about helping young people realize how truly
outstanding they are,” Flowers says.
For more information on how to get involved, visit the official Hip
Hop 4 Life website.
Princess Gabbara is a senior at Eastern Michigan University,
where she will soon earn her bachelor’s degree in journalism.
You can read more of her work on her
blog: princessgabbara.wordpress.com. Follow her on Twitter:
@PrincessGabbara
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Rashan Ali, Nicole Garner & More Evoke Change in Teen
Girls
July 30, 2013 by Donna Shana
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The statistics speak for themselves. Over 75% of girls with low self-esteem report
engaging in negative activities such as eating disorders, cutting, smoking or
drinking when feeling bad about themselves. (Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National
Report on the State of Self-Esteem)
At Georgia State University, Hip Hop 4 Life’s Shades of Beauty partnered with
Rashan Ali’s Sport Girls Inc. to present WOMEN OF INSPIRATION CLASS AND
STYLE. This inaugural girls empowerment summit featured a panel that spoke to
the girls on topics such as self-esteem, confidence and positive image. A select
group of 50 girls, ages 14-17, from community organizations in Atlanta attended
and enjoyed an interactive panel discussion, complimentary lunch, an exciting
empowerment fashion designing activity led by the panelists and giveaways.
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Monday, August 26, 2013 | Broken Clouds 82 °F
1
MC Lyte, Lamman Rucker and more inspire teen
girls
Brooklyn Daily
Eagle
Hip Hop 4 Life, a
Brooklyn-based
nonprofit
organization
founded by
Brooklyn native
Tamekia Flowers,
has helped to
empower tens of
thousands of teens
since its founding
in 2003. The most
recent of their
programs, in
partnership with
MC Lyte’s
organization Hip
Tamekia Flowers, founder of Hip Hop 4 Life. Photo courtesy of Hip Hop 4 Life
Hop Sisters in Los
Angeles and radio
personality Rashan Ali’s organization Sporty Girls Inc., consisted of two celebrity teen empowerment summits in Atlanta.
The summit featured a celebrity panel that spoke to the girls on topics such as self-esteem, confidence and positive
image. A select group of 80 girls, ages 14-17, attended and enjoyed an interactive panel discussion, complimentary lunch,
an exciting empowerment fashion designing activity led by the panelists, and giveaways.
Hip Hop 4 Life has been committed to the positive development of today’s teens since 2003. The organization's mission
is to provide interactive life skills training and health and wellness programs that are designed to engage, educate and
empower young people to lead extraordinary lives. Hip Hop 4 Life provides year-round programs that aid in developing
and fostering educational values, life skills, leadership, strength, self-esteem, goal-setting skills and, most importantly,
confidence in one’s capabilities. Hip Hop 4 Life has had the honor of working with Gabrielle Union, Chrisette Michele,
NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade and his Wade’s World Foundation, NBA legend Alonzo Mourning and Black Entertainment
Television/Rap-It-Up.
August 22, 2013 - 8:30am
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Using Hip-Hop to Make a Difference: A Talk With
Tamekia Flowers-Holland
Tamekia discusses her journey to shine a brighter, more positive light on Hip-Hop and help youth at the same time
by Arlice Nichole Posted: November 6, 2012
The death of Jam Master Jay in 2002 and the “bad rap” Hip-Hop was receiving at the time was the push Tamekia FlowersHolland needed to found “Hip-Hop 4 Life,” a nonprofit out of New York City with a double mission to foster positive youth
development while shining a better light on Hip-Hop culture.
A long history working with young people and a passion for youth culture afforded Tamekia an up-close look at what many
urban youth were lacking in their mental, physical and social well-being. It’s through engaging programming in the areas of
health and wellness, life skills training and college and career readiness that Tamekia, her committed team, and notable
members of the community connect with and empower young people.
Black Enterprise talked with Tamekia to learn more about how “Hip-Hop 4 Life” is making a difference, what’s happening right
now and what’s next.
BlackEnterprise.com: Why Hip Hop 4 Life?
Tamekia Flowers: I’ve been volunteering with young people for years, always going into schools to talk about what I do, but I
noticed they weren’t receiving information on basic life skills training, sexual health or physical education. So I wanted to create
an organization that addressed those topics, but also engaged and empowered young people while bringing a more positive light
to a culture I love so much; a culture that is much more than the music.
What does it mean to be Hip-Hop 4 Life?
A young person who is Hip-Hop 4 Life is heavily involved in [youth] culture, but defying the stereotypes and statistics. A young person who is Hip-Hop 4 Life appreciates the music and
entertainment aspect of the culture, and will be the same person in a business suit running the record company later.
What are some ways you connect with the youth?
Life skills and wellness go hand-in-hand so what we offer are workshops that emphasize both. These are the foundations for the success and development of anyone. We focus on selfesteem, healthy relationships, grooming, hygiene, sexual health, as well as vision building and goal setting. We’re teaching our youth how to transition from high school to post-secondary
options. We also talk about nutrition and get them off the smartphones by encouraging them to be more physically active. We’re preparing them for college, the workplace, and life.
About how many youth would you say you’ve been able to reach?
I can safely say 12,000-12,500 youth since 2003, and that’s from collaborating with other youth organizations, to hosting our annual youth summits with Dwyane Wade and Alonzo
Mourning.
What is your success rate?
Through one of our programs called “The Empowerment Team,” young people have been directly mentored by myself and members of the Hip-Hop 4 Life staff. We’ve had a few graduating
classes where all but one have gone on to college or vocational school. So there is an almost 100 percent success rate of post-secondary endeavors there.
You just hosted your annual “Shades of Beauty Women of Inspiration Brunch & Awards Ceremony” this past June. Can you tell us some highlights from this
event?
Absolutely! The Shades of Beauty event was an opportunity for us to celebrate women who continuously make an impact on young ladies in their communities. In the past, we’ve honored
women like Shanti Das from Universal Records, Mona Scott Young from Monami Entertainment, MC Lyte and Fantasia. This year, we honored writer and image activist Michaela Angela
Davis, radio personality Déjà Vu and Adrienne White from Disney VoluntEARS.
We wanted to honor everyday women whose names may not be recognizable, but are in the trenches giving all they have to young people; so we also honored one teacher and one principal
from schools we’ve worked with, and Rosa Delgado who is actually one of our Shades of Beauty Empowerment Team members who started with us when she was 13. She’s now 17 and she’s
made such a powerful transformation.
Does your organization offer special programs for young men?
Yes! “Man UP!” is our personal development club for young men heavily emphasizing educational achievement and college
readiness, which started in 2007. Currently, we’re involved in a huge initiative with the New York City Department of Education
entitled “Urban Ambassadors,” which is a part of their efforts in closing the achievement gap. And, we have 27 young men
involved in that particular program. Next year, for our 10th anniversary gala, we plan to honor men of distinction.
Do you plan to expand your efforts nationally?
My goal is to do more in other cities. For the fourth year now we’re getting ready to do Dwayne Wade’s youth summit in
Chicago; right now, we have our eyes on Newark, Jersey City and Atlanta. So we’re planting the seeds now to get into school
systems in those markets. In addition to that, we’re looking to take our Empowerment Team to Africa in 2014 to serve. We want
to encourage our young people to be global.
What are some challenges you’ve run into growing Hip Hop 4 Life?
I have another company called “Epiphany Blue” which is my event planning firm and I teach yoga, so one thing is balance. But
another challenge was getting adequate funding. We didn’t always have celebrities behind us, and a lot of money was coming
out of my pocket. Our first real grant was from the W.K Kellogg Foundation. Since, we’ve secured funding from Walt Disney,
MTV, Bank of America, The Department of Education, and in the last two years we’ve raised $700,000-$800,000 dollars. It’s
always about the funding when you’re a nonprofit. The smaller and less known you are, the harder it is to get funding.
But Hip-Hop 4 Life is steadily growing, and that growth has even included programming for parents, right?
Yes! Some parents may not always connect with what we try to instill in our youth, and our young people may not get the same support at home because parents have their own issues. So, in
2008, we had our first parent session at our annual youth fest. There were about 25 parents who attended initially. Today, we are working with 80 to 90 parents. Due to the success of our
IDEALIST.ORG - APRIL 2008
D
NV MAGAZINE - FEB/MAR 2008
NV MAGAZINE - FEB/MAR 2008
NV MAGAZINE - FEB/MAR 2008
TheHipHopCosign.wordpress.com – 11/9/07
HIP HOP 4 LIFE LAUNCHES MAN UP! PROGRAM IN HARLEM
Hip Hop 4 Life, a non-profit youth empowerment organization, is launching their Man Up!
program at Bread And Roses Integrated Arts High School, located at 6 Edgecombe Avenue
in Harlem, NY on Tuesday, November 13
th
from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
The launch of Man
Up! will kick off Hip Hop 4 Life and BET Rap-It-Up’s week-long series of HIV/AIDS
Awareness empowerment forums throughout New York City and New Jersey selected high
schools from November 13
th
through November 16th.
The forum at Bread And Roses Integrated Arts High School will consist of a two hour interactive
panel discussion powered with health professionals and entertainers such as media mogul, ED
LOVER; award winning music producer, KWAME; celebrity fitness trainer, CHRIS SAINSBURY
; Hip Hop Artist SOULJA BOY; and movie actor, NICOYE BANKS will focus on issues that will
include the definition of a “Man”, vision-building, goal-setting, pursuit of education, relationships
with and respect for young girls, HIV/AIDS awareness & prevention, the importance of abstinence &
“safer” sex, and decision-making & choices.
Man Up! is a self-esteem and empowerment forum for young boys (ages 10-17). The program is
devised to address issues of self-esteem, self-respect and respect for others, the transition from
boyhood to manhood and the core Hip Hop 4 Life health topics. The program is chaired by award
winning music producer, KWAME, and acclaimed film, television and stage actor and author of
Letters To A Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny, HILL HARPER.
“Man Up! provides the
opportunity for young boys to receive important information from positive, successful and influential
men” states Kwame. “The statistics regarding the state of young black men are frightening. It is
time we all did our part to help make a difference in their lives”.
With statistics showing an alarming rate of Black males ages 18-24 years old with the highest
homicide victimization and offending rates in each racial and gender group (Bureau of Justice 2005
Statistics), highest percentage of 19.5% for unemployment (Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population-2006), and only 77.4% Black males graduates from high school (U.S. Census
Bureau-2005), Man Up! addresses these social issues to the forefront and offers alternate solutions .
After Harlem, the Hip Hop 4 Life and BET Rap-It-Up’s Empowerment Week schedule includes East
Side High School in Newark, NJ on Wednesday, November 14 th, Bronx Community High School on
Thursday, November 15th, and will make its final stop at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn on
Friday, November 16th. with special guests to include BET personality, Alesha Renee; R&B
sensation, Sammie; Hip Hop Artist, Styles P; HIV/AIDS educator and activist, Marvelyn Brown.
ABOUT HIP HOP 4 LIFE
Hip Hop 4 Life is a not-for-profit youth empowerment organization founded by Tamekia Flowers-Holland and
is Co-Managed by Tanisha Tate and Ianna Small. The organization is dedicated to engaging, educating and
empowering young people to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Hip Hop 4 Life enlists health and entertainment
industry professionals, recording artists, celebrities, and athletes to educate young people on health issues
through interactive workshops, and empowerment seminars. Since its inception in 2003, Hip Hop 4 Life
executed over 25 key workshops and events that have reached thousands of young people. Hip Hop 4 Life
executes empowerment programs including Shades of Beauty for girls and Man UP! for boys in partnership
with youth and community-based organizations nationwide. ( www.hiphop4lifeonline.com )
BLACK BEAT - MAR 2007
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BLACK BEAT - MARCH 2007