News: Rick Ross and Elle Varner join "The 2014 Respect My Vote! Campaign"

There has never been a more important time for the Hip Hop community to lead with our voices and with action. Mid-term elections are this November, and we need every American, 18 and older, to participate.

Today, Hip Hop Caucus launches the 2014 Respect My Vote! campaign. Respect My Vote! is the largest and longest running Hip Hop get-out-the-vote campaign. So it is historic today, that I get to announce to you that we have two celebrities, new to the Hip Hop Caucus family, joining us and committing to leading with us to educate and mobilize young people to the polls this year.

The Hip Hop Caucus welcome Rick Ross and Elle Varner as 2014 Respect My Vote! spokespeople.

Check out the press announcement from the Respect My Vote! campaign site.  This will be the fourth consecutive cycle for our award-winning Respect My Vote! campaign. Given the numerous issues that the Hip Hop community faces from barriers to economic and educational opportunity, to climate change, to racial justice, there is not a more important time to encourage participation in elections.

I could not be more excited to launch this election cycle’s ‘Respect My Vote!’ campaign during the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer, when young people organized in Mississippi to register as many African Americans to vote as possible over the summer of 1964. Also significant, however, is that today is the one-year anniversary of the Shelby v. Holder decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

The struggle for equality, including our voting rights, is not over and it continues with us.  Follow Hip Hop Caucus on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on the campaign. We are planning big things to bring Respect My Vote! to communities across this country.  For future generations.

***Thanks to Rev Yearwood (President and CEO of The Hip Hop Caucus) for sending***