Mumtaz Morris & Dennis McKinley Among Judges for U*nity Diaspora Coalition Census Poster & Social Media Competition
Director Dennis McKinley Among Judges for Unity Diaspora Coalition Census Poster and Social Media
Competition
scholarships, hi-tech gift cards and laptops
DC – Talented R&B/hip-hop artist/producer/singer and son of music
icon Stevie Wonder, Mumtaz Ekow Morris, and music video
director, Dennis Mckinley, will
join representatives from community based organizations as judges for
the National Coalition on Black Civic
Participation’s Unity Diaspora Coalition (UDC) Census Poster and Social
Media Competition.
The
National Coalition’s UDC is sponsoring the competition in cities where
they have Census activities on the ground working to decrease the
undercount of the Black population, says executive director and CEO Melanie L. Campbell. Participating
cities are: Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Gary, IN; Houston, TX; Jackson,
MS; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; and New York, NY.
opportunity for parents, educators, service providers, clergy, and
youth organizers to help young people understand the importance of the
Census with a civic activity that is educational and fun.”
Participants can use any talent to
communicate the importance of the Census and encourage people to return
their Census form. Poems, posters, paintings, spoken word, songs,
YouTube videos, comedy skits, rap, and other artistic expression is
eligible. Students and young adults have until April 16, 2010 to enter the competition and must live in
one of the cities listed above.
Judges will select five local winners from
each participating city including: elementary, middle school, high
school, undergraduate, and young adult categories. Local winners will
receive a certificate of recognition and a $25 – $100 gift card and will
be entered into the UDC Census Poster and Social Media Competition.
Five national winners will be selected from the local winners. National
prizes include a $1,000 scholarship, $500 gift card, laptops and a
Nintendo WII Sport.
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“I am eager to check
out the creative ideas from talented young people,” said McKinley. “I
hope to see some captivating viral campaigns that will motivate young
people to be civically engaged and persuade their parents to return
their Census form,” adds the director of Travis Porter’s hit single “Go Shorty Go,” voted the
number one song in Atlanta two weeks in a row.
“I am
honored to be a part of this campaign and assist in judging the
entries,” cites Mumtaz, whose debut single “Do It Well,” featuring Snoop Dogg drops in April. “We all
need to stand up and be counted in the 2010 Census and I look forward to
reviewing the entries while helping to expose new talent.”
The Unity Diaspora Coalition is an
initiative of The National Coalition that brings together organizations
representing Caribbean, Afro Latino, African, and African American
communities. In addition to urging the Black population to mail in their
completed census survey to decrease the under-count of the Black
population, their goal is to demonstrate unity among Blacks of the
Diaspora.
Content can be uploaded
to http://www.unitydiaspora.ning.com
or mailed to The National Coalition UDC, 1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW
10th Floor – Suite #1000, Washington, DC 20036. Call for more
information 202-659-4929.