Words Beats and Life was founded as a hip-hop conference at the University of Maryland, College Park in the fall of 2000. The brainchild of Mazi Mutafa, Executive Director, WBL was developed and researched at the University of Maryland with two fellow students who wanted to continue the hip-hop conference after graduation. When the Black Student Union decided they could manage the conference without the help of alumni, Words Beats and Life was faced with the option of dissolving or moving in a new direction. More than anything, the founders wanted Words Beats and Life to be a vehicle to transform individual lives and communities through hip-hop. In 2003, WBL was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization with 501c3 status in the District of Columbia and began developing its first program, The Urban Arts Academy
SongRise is Washington, DC’s all women social justice a cappella group!
Follow us on Twitter! http://twitter.com/SongRiseDC
Biography
HerStory: SongRise was conceived on a shuttle to the DC Metro when Sarah Beller and Laura Honeywood started harmonizing to Sweet Honey in the Rock’s “Ella’s Song” after a Social Justice Open Mic. For a few rocky months they met in the practice rooms of American University every week with a revolving cast of special guest appearances until a core group solidified and rehearsals moved to the Apiary in Columbia Heights. From the moment SongRise was conceived, we knew it had the potential to solidify our individual and collective dreams of merging art with action, song, soul and substance, community and chorus, and many other alliterative amalgamations.
SongRise is Washington, DC’s all women social justice a cappella group! We use our music to inspire people to fight for social and political change. We offer up our singing talents at community events, rallies, protests, farmer’s markets, civil rights celebrations, DC voting rights events, arts showcases, in schools, at churches, in prisons…
The Oneida Indian Nation has launched a new campaign to end the use of the racial slur “redskins” as the mascot and the name of the NFL team.
George Preston Marshall, the founder and namer of the team, “Redskins”, was a vehement racist that was forced to hire an African-American player in 1962 when Interior Secretary Stewart Udall and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy threatened to revoke the Redskins’ 30-year lease on the D.C. Stadium, (now RFK Stadium.)
George Preston Marshall set up a foundation for $6 million with the qualification that none of it could be used “for any purpose which supports or employs the principle of racial integration.”
The Racist Redskins:
www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/nov/10/racist-redskins/
Oneida Indian Nation to Daniel Snyder: Stop Trying to Rewrite History:
www.oneidaindiannation.com/pressroom/Oneida-Indian-Nation-to-Daniel-Snyder-Stop-Trying-to-Rewrite-History-and-Instead-Rewrite-Your-Letter-to-Season-Ticket-Holders-227577001.html
We are proud to announce the 2013 Activist Award winners!
Thanks to everyone who submitted nominations. There has been so much impressive work in the past year that we wish we could honor everyone, but these inspirational activists stood out.
We hope you’ll join us in honoring them and the entire progressive community at the Activist Awards Grassroots Gala on Thursday, December 12th, 6:30-11:00 pm.
Stuart Anderson, Friends and Family of Incarcerated People
Voices of the 99%
Youth awardee: Brenda Perez Amador, SMART, MLOV
Lifetime achievement: Bill Galvin, Center on Conscience and War
Congratulations and thank you to all our awardees for their wonderful work for peace and justice!
Once again, we’ll be accepting ads to congratulate the winners, highlight upcoming campaigns and events AND/OR honor the Washington Peace Center on our 50th anniversary!
Free food! Cash bar! Raffle with exciting prizes! Great music! Dancing! Fun! Peace! Dust off your tutu and party shoes and we’ll see you there!
Buy your ticket today! The price is $15-200 sliding scale. $50 and up gets you a full color poster. $100 and up gets you the VIP gift basket. Buy your tickets today!
SAVE THE DATE! Activist Awards Grassroots Gala: December 12th, 2013
6:30-11:00 PM, St. Stephen’s Church
1525 Newton St NW, Washington, DC
5 reasons to attend the Activist Awards video by the Washington Peace Center
Words Beats and Life was founded as a hip-hop conference at the University of Maryland, College Park in the fall of 2000. The brainchild of Mazi Mutafa, Executive Director, WBL was developed and researched at the University of Maryland with two fellow students who wanted to continue the hip-hop conference after graduation. When the Black Student Union decided they could manage the conference without the help of alumni, Words Beats and Life was faced with the option of dissolving or moving in a new direction. More than anything, the founders wanted Words Beats and Life to be a vehicle to transform individual lives and communities through hip-hop. In 2003, WBL was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization with 501c3 status in the District of Columbia and began developing its first program, The Urban Arts Academy
Comments are closed 
