A NU VIEW, 2008 "I may not get there with you: Taking MLK's Dream to MLK"

When hip-hop sounds off to the likes of Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton it is often met with blanket statements of criticism that don't speak to the culture that is the kissing cousin of the Civil Rights movement. I May Not Get There With You, the second annual A Nu View Project, will reflect on the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination by taking talented DC urban teens on an unforgettable tour of the MLK boulevards of America. A common joke among the African- American community is that, although Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for nonviolence, streets named after the civil rights martyr throughout the country are oftentimes marred by crime, vandalism, declining black businesses (if any), and yes, violence.

One Common Unity,a community-based 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to innovative peace education through the arts and media, will collaborate with Straight, No Chaser Productions to develop a documentary that explores the juxtaposition of this phenomenon. At the center of the documentary film will be 15 youth from Washington, DC public and charter high schools. They will be involved by personally relating the progress of Dr. King's dream in a hip- hop generation, all the while learning the fundamentals of filmmaking and positive community engagement.

Starting and focusing on MLK Boulevard in Anacostia, A NU View youth traveled north on the 1- 95 corridor visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore and then headed south to Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis and New Orleans. This documentary will put this topic in the minds of teenagers and give the stage to create art and answer the hard questions that separates the civil rights movement from hip-hop culture. The program pairs the youth with professionals in the industry from pre- production to post-production, allowing them to learn how to communicate a vision and their unique perspective to those watching.

The NU View program, created in partnership with Straight, No Chaser Productions has been awarded a grant from the DC Humanities Council. This recent award has matched an important grant award received from the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities. OCU is still short of meeting the fundraising goals and needs to make sure The NU VIEW program this summer is a success. OCU is IN NEED of equipment for the kids to film and edit with this summer.

The list includes: *3 Desktop Computers/ Monitors and Keyboards *All-In-One Printer *4 HD Video Cameras (Production Level) *2 (1 TB) External Hard drives *3 Tripods *3 Digital Cameras

Please consider donating to support this project and a host of other projects created by ONe Common UNITY. Also, please forward this to anyone who may be interested. YOUR DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED!
To read more about the fantastic work of these students and to see some awesome pictures, visit their blog at http://anuview08mlk.wordpress.com/

Words Beats & Life presents the 3rd annual Hip- Hop Chess Tournament, Bum Rush the Boards happening May 17th 2008 at Lincoln Middle School at 3101 16th Street NW Washington DC 20010 11am- 7pm.

Bum Rush the Boards is open to players of all ages 5 and above. There is a $5 registration fee to be paid the day of for all individual players and members of teams. The $5 covers food and prizes for players. Bum Rush the Boards is however free and open to the public for people who want to attend as observers of the days events.

Bum Rush the Boards, the World's first hip-hop chess tournament, was created to promote the idea of strategic struggle to the hip-hop generation. The name of the event was inspired by Public Enemy's album, "Yo! Bum Rush the Show" released in the January 1st 1987.

There was a logical connection between Chess and Hip-Hop considering the fact that hip-hop as a culture is highly competitive. It is replete with opportunities to battle and compete to win over crowds, crews and sponsors. By connecting hip-hop to chess, we have created a chess tournament that exposes youth to a culture (hip-hop) and a science (chess) that requires them to think ahead, manage talent and size up their adversary. These skills are useful in hip- hop, chess, business and in life. This is especially important for a generation of youth who have been made to believe that playing the "pawn" in life is cool. They have only been taught to move in one direction and many adults see them as dispensable players. Bum Rush the Boards dares to ask, "What happens when a pawn becomes a king or a queen?" What happens when a pawn knows that he or she can be more and sees for the first time that they can ultimately be the most powerful player in the game? Bum Rush the Boards harnesses the power of hip-hop culture and the science of chess to open the minds of a generation to a host of new options the world has available to them.

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Washington, DC- May 21, 2008

You are cordially invited to the "Let's Get Together" Grass Roots & Cultural Non Profits Collective (Monthly Gathering)

The Topic for MAY is "Options for setting up your charitable organization", facilitated by a round table discussion Where: ECAC - 733 Euclid St. NW
When: May 21 Time: 6:00 pm -8:00pm

Cost: FREE (donations are appreciated to support the venue & other costs)

This event is sponsored by Sylvia Robinson of the ECAC www.ecacollective.org and Candace J. Mickens of Ubuntu Village www.ubvillage.org. contact cmickens@ubvillage.org for more info.

Ubuntu Village wishes all the MOTHERS reading this a HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, TODAY & EVERY DAY.

MAY 14 is the 4th Annual Fine Brother's Day. What? Never heard about it? You will. Stay Tuned for May 14