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Jay-Z is teaming up with prominent social justice leaders this summer to inform voters of color and drive them to the polls during midterm elections, ABC News reports.
Team Roc, the social justice division of Jay-Z's Roc Nation, has assembled the United Justice Coalition, a group of industry leaders and activists that will gather for a summit in New York to raise awareness about racial and criminal justice, policy, mental wellness, and other issues affecting communities of color.
Dania Diaz, Roc Nation's managing director of philanthropy, said the goal of the summit is to drive political action and engagement amid midterm elections.
Diaz told ABC News, "It is an opportunity for people to really learn about issues that impact their communities -- issues that are going to inevitably come up in midterm elections -- and hopefully, it'll drive action."
The Roc Nation rep continued, "At the very least, to get more people connected to what's happening locally in their communities, but also, you know, getting them to register to vote, first and foremost." Diaz added, "And to recognize that there are networks of folks and organizations that they can lean into for support and for greater resources."
The July 23 summit is set to host Ben Crump, Van Jones, Tamika Mallory, Charlamagne Tha God, and other celebrities, activists, academics, and the family members of gun violence victims.
Diaz said that Roc Nation's goal to fight system injustice is "synonymous" with the mission of hip-hop.
"If you think about it from a lyrical standpoint and from just a cultural standpoint, the voices that drive hip hop and the music and the lyrics and the experiences that are brought to the table are really largely from a social and racial justice lens," Diaz said. "And so I think that when we talk about hip hop, as a vehicle to move culture, it's also a vehicle to address social justice issues and systemic problems."
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