Putting a Modern Spin on Responsibility

Hip-Hop Summit Encourages Safe Actions, Political Awareness for Youths

Sixteen-year-old Andrew White stepped to the lectern and represented.

White, a freshman at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School, was charged with convincing the audience at Friendship Public Charter School Collegiate Academy in Northeast Washington yesterday that the voting age should be lowered to 16. Across the stage, the home team was making the case for keeping it at 18.

The debate, ultimately won by Thurgood Marshall, was one of several activities yesterday at the fourth annual D2D Hip Hop Summit. The event provided information and entertainment for young people ages 12 to 18 and included a mini-concert by Louisiana rapper Hurricane Chris, as well as performances by several young local performers.

The event was kicked off by a skit called "Baby Mama, Hustle Drama," which centered on a teenage mother named April, who neglected her infant child, and Brian, her boyfriend and the baby's father. April was portrayed as a young woman torn by the responsibilities of motherhood, when she really wanted to live the life of a carefree teenager, shopping and dating, instead of working hard to take care of her child.

Three times during the skit, staff organizers interrupted the action to discuss the associated moral issues with the audience.

"What are some of the signs that you saw that show that April is a neglectful mother?" a staff member asked the audience.

"The baby was wearing the same clothes!" one boy yelled out.

"The baby's diaper hadn't been changed!" several young people said.

"She was spending money that Brian gave her for the baby to go shopping!" a girl told the staff member.

The pregnancy, the young people concluded, had occurred because April and Brian had engaged in unprotected sex, which can lead to HIV-AIDS, the staff member said.

Teaching the students how to stay safe was a main goal of the event, said Mae Best, executive director of East River Family Strengthening Collaborative of Southeast Washington, the originator of the Hip Hop Summits. Other sponsors this year included Family and Child Services of Washington, D.C., Sasha Bruce Youthwork and Ophelia Egypt Health Center, which conducted the testing.

"We wanted a place for the kids to get together to learn about the realities of life and how they can protect themselves," Best said. "We also wanted them to have a place where they can come be entertained."