The Hip-Hop S.A.V.E. (Support Anti-Violence Efforts) America Initiative needs you
To: Mr. Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z, Roc Nation Founder, Bedford-Stuyvesant Native
We are humbly asking for your assistance to help save our inner-city youth, who are constantly threatened by the specter of gun violence.
Man Up! Inc. is proud to serve as one of the lead organizations involved in the Hip-Hop S.A.V.E. America. The S.A.V.E. America Initiative is a nationwide anti-violence coalition that consists of families and victims of violence, street and youth organizations, community- and faith-based leaders, elected officials and athletes, as well as hip-hop celebs and executives.
We all stand united in our appeal to you and other celebrities who come from neighborhoods stricken by senseless violence to join our coalition’s peace and relief efforts by becoming one of Brooklyn’s “Ambassadors of Peace.” Ambassadors of Peace help sponsor street organizations’ peace and relief efforts on the ground by raising the necessary funds needed to sustain the operations that have been proven to be effective in combating street violence.
We all recognize, commend and salute your philanthropy over the years via the Shawn Carter Foundation and other charities you’ve supported. However, our request for financial and moral support is more specific and centered around the hardcore issue of street gun violence. We concentrate our attention and coalition efforts in the most violent and dangerous communities in Brooklyn and throughout the country. We prioritize and provide services for the most high-risk members of the community while utilizing innovative, successful grassroots models and approaches that are data driven and reduce gun violence like the CeaseFire Chicago model.
We are asking that you bestow upon us the same noble gesture you bestowed upon the city of Denver, Colo., back in the year 2000 during your nationwide concert and tour, when you donated the proceeds of those shows to the victims and their families of the Columbine High School shootings, as seen in the documentary “Backstage.”
With the historic opening of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, your hometown and borough, later this month on Sept. 28, we are desperately asking for you to help rescue our communities’ livelihood by financially backing the efforts of the Hip-Hop S.A.V.E. America Initiative. All can agree that with such backing, it will send resounding cheers throughout this city and abroad and continue to catapult you as a true humanitarian and icon in hip-hop, business and community as well as possibly encourage other celebs in hip-hop to get involved behind this very important issue and initiative.
But most importantly, it can give you the peace of mind knowing that you are assisting in violence reduction efforts on the ground in the community you grew up in with some very respected and trusted allies throughout New York City. We welcome the opportunity to express the details of our humble request in person via a meeting with you or your principal associates any time, any place very soon.
We thank you in advance for any and all consideration given to the above important matter while we humbly await your response. Please feel free to visit just a few of Hip-Hop S.A.V.E. America members’ websites for information on the work we are doing on the ground:
- www.manupinc.org/
- www.dontshootnyc.com/ www.ilovemylife.com/
- www.soscrownheights.org/
- www.kingofkingsfoundation.org/
- www.Notanotherchild.org/ www.ceasefirechicago.org.
Respectfully and sincerely submitted,
Andre T. Mitchell, FDC
Founder & Executive Director
Man Up! Inc.
National Chairman, S.A.V.E. America