The Green Revolution

Grind for theGreen bringskids out to hip-hopevents to exposethem to alternativeenergy methods andorganic foods.then reprogram the way you cook those foods by exchangingprocessed ingredients for fresh ones, for example. The idea oforganic and fresh food has become a commodity for the elite andprivileged, but Harris believes in food justice and encouragespeople to research programs like Oakland’s PeoplesGrocery.org.These organizations help connect you to the fresh foods youshould be eating.Kids all over the country are making the connections betweentheir lifestyle, their environment, and their health. As a result,their lives are changing for the better. They are lowering theircarbon foot print on the planet and reaping the benefits of anorganic life-style. Youth have often been the main vehicle forrevolutions, and the movement for eco-equity just might beanother example.Rapping about the greenTurn on the radio and it is not hard to find artist rappingabout green, but what if instead of money, they were rappingabout lettuce, collard greens, and organic broccoli? After all, hiphopstarted as a stage to voice the social injustices of the innercity; eco hip-hop voices the social injustices of the inner citycaused by environmental factors.Environmentally aware hip-hop is not something most rapfans would expect, but long-time hip-hop writer and follower ofyouth movements Eric Arnold does not think it is odd or evenunexpected.Arnold says, “Hip-hop in and of itself is a reaction toenvironmental [social] issues.” Organizations like Grind for theGreen is making these issues about the environment. Poverty,sickness, malnutrition are not new to the inner city, but peopleare gaining awareness of the connection these issues have to theenvironment. As Arnold observes, “The youth are the future…but they are also inheriting all the social and environmentalproblems of the previous generations.”Eco hip-hop is no different than any other social justicemovement. Grind for the Green brings kids out to hip-hopevents to expose them to alternative energy methods andorganic foods. Eco movements are bringing opportunities andpossibilities back to inner city. Have you heard President Obamatalking about green jobs? Movements like community gardens,rainwater collecting, and converting to solar energy are creatingjobs and cleaning up urban areas.Whoever said kids couldn’t make a difference was obviouslywrong. Youth-generated green movements are taking root andbranching across the country, and organizations like Grind forthe Green are streamlining the channels of communicationto bring messages that need to be heard, preferably over ahot beat. tv14 teen vision magazine