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Open Mic Politics - Topic 2 - RACE IN AMERICA

Rules for "Open Mic - Politics" Competition

TOPIC 2 COMPETITION RUNS THROUGH FRIDAY APRIL 4

Welcome to Topic 2 of Open Mic. This topic's competition runs from Saturday March 22 until 11:59pm PST on Friday April 4. Voting starts on YouTube and then the top five videos will be posted @ 12:01am PST on Saturday April 5 right here on TakeBacktheMic.com for final voting by registered users.

The subject for Topic 2 is RACE IN AMERICA.

Here are the Ground Rules:

Post a video response to this video on YouTube. In your response you should:

A - Introduce yourself:

Full Name

Where you are from

Shout out: "I'm here to Take Back the Mic"

B - Speak to the issue of the week:

On "issue X" (eg. Healthcare)

State who you support and why

EXAMPLE: "Hi, I'm Derrick Ashong, in Los Angeles and I'm here to Take Back the Mic On Healthcare I support Senator Obama because: (knowledge, knowledge, witty comment, further knowledge, wrap it up)

C - Stick to the time limit: 3mins max

VOTE:

First round of voting will be on YouTube.

You vote by adding a video you like to your "favorites"

The five videos with the most favorites will move to the next round of voting

By Fri midnight the 5 most popular clips will be posted to TBTM site in a poll

Registered TBTM members can vote on the final 5

The Winner of the competition will have a $100 donation made to their candidate by DNA

Other citizens can make pledges to contribute to the campaign of the winner's candidate. We are asking pledges to be non-partisan - our goal is to support talent, intellect and commitment to the democratic process. Whoever wins the competition, as a collective we pledge to honor that competitor's candidate and the principle of civic engagement with our contributions.

Email addresses of those who made pledges will be sent directly to the campaign supported by the winning competitor, for follow-up on contributions. No transactions will be made or accepted through Take Back the Mic.

Extras:

email politics@takebackthemic.com to make a pledge offer for the winner

email politics@takebackthemic.com with ideas about potential topics

"Open Mic - Politics" Competition...Take Back the Mic!!

Results for "Open Mic - Politics" Competition -WEEK 1 -HEALTHCARE

1st Place - Florentine Christian - Las Vegas, NV

2nd Place - David Brunton - Washington, DC

3rd Place - Amanda - Wisconsin

Video cannot be embedded

4th Place - Kat - Washington State

Stay Tuned for the Next Topic!!

Why Take Back the Mic?

Dear Friends,

It was in January 2002 when I discovered that Hip Hop was poisoning my soul. I’d become suspicious of the daily meals of manufactured machismo and choreographed authenticity. I had long suspected that a woman could be valued for more than the size of her posterior or her willingness to prostitute herself before a lyrical pimp. But it wasn't until I ran into a kid on the street in my hometown of Accra, Ghana who greeted me with "what's up my nigga?" that I truly began questioning what our music was doing to and for us.

I've heard a million excuses and a thousand other reasons why artists are not responsible for what they say, why the "Industry" is just giving people what they want, and why the violence, misogyny and general nihilism of our popular culture have no effect on real life because it's "just music."

With a straight face they'll tell you that Music, arguably the most powerful art form known to human-kind has no effect on how people see themselves and the world they live in? I hear this over and over again and I just can't help but ask "who's playing who?" Or better yet...

"Who's playing you?"

While the mainstream media doles out a daily diet of negative imagery, violent crime rates rise in inner-cities across the nation, youth across the globe are swept up in waves of political conflict, and the artists who once gave hope to a generation have given up on making music that means anything.

I'm not prepared to let the media define me, my identity or the life I choose to lead. Are you?

What is "Take Back the Mic?" It's what we are about to do with a vengeance. Real people, real voices, real power to turn the tide of our culture into something that builds us up more than it breaks us down. The train is leaving the station...you are invited to get on board.

Peace,

D. N. A.