It's that time again! The 2nd Official SoulGen Playlist Contest is upon us. The task is simple:

CELEBRATE WOMEN! NOW!

Create a music playlist that includes images that significantly acknowledge the beauty, strength, character, vision, leadership, and love of the women of the world.

FOR COMPLETE DETAILS AND TO OFFICIALLY ENTER THE CONTEST, YOU MUST DECLARE YOUR ELIGIBILITY BY RESPONDING HERE

For all my Nintendo (the original NES) heads, and real Hip-Hop heads....this one is for you!


Thank you 9th and MURS!

Mother's Day Radio is a community driven initiative to create a space in mainstream media that provides a balanced and more accurate depiction of womanhood. Through MDR's engaging initiative, communities take direct action in challenging and expanding current media portrayals of womanhood to include images that significantly acknowledge the beauty, strength, character, vision, leadership, and love of the women of the world.

Our goal is to organize and implement successfully a call to action that results in a day of rest and uplift for women on radio. On May 12, 2007, Mother’s Day weekend, MDR launched with the participation of KJLH 102.3 fm and V100 fm in Los Angeles, CA, and WERG 90.5 fm in Erie, Pennsylvania.

MDR OBJECTIVES
1. To secure one day of radio that plays no songs containing lyrics that emphasize the body parts and sexual attributes and activities of women.
2. To secure one day of radio that plays songs containing lyrics that highlight and recognize the strength, honor, value and wisdom of the mothers, daughters, sisters—the women—of society.
3. To secure the creation, marketing and distribution of a “Mother’s Day Album” that is a collaboration of national recording artists singing music that uplifts women by honoring the strength, honor, value and wisdom of women.
4. To organize the youth across the country as leaders in the movement for Mother’s Day Radio.
5. To rally together women in solidarity to support Mother’s Day Radio.

WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT:
• There have been many debates on the state of hip-hop, the lyrics, the integrity of the music, where it comes from and how it depicts elements of Black and 'urban' life. This is NOT one of those debates.

• There have been outright verbal attacks on hip-hop and the artists and their lack of social responsibility. This is NOT one of those attacks.

• This is not a question of the validity of requesting that a human being's worth is espoused within a form of entertainment that may or may not be controlled by the artists themselves.

• This is a call to action by women, youth and men to make clear how we want women to be represented in our human culture and to implement a strategic plan for attaining it. This is an action of cooperation with artists, providing them with an opportunity for the creative self-expression of love, worth and value in their particular medium.

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An FOX News producer confronts a Priest about his relationships with Rev. Julian Wright and Minister Louis Farrakhan...trying to also diminish Barack Obama while he was at it.

Maybe he should have thought twice...

Looking for something cool to get involved in? We've got a few: 1. National Rally for Barack Obama - One Voice for Change Across America (a Nationwide Simultaneous Event April 12, 2008)
- Voice, 1 - People, 1 - Day, 1 - Time - Real Change
12 noon EST/11 am CST/10 am MST/9am PST/6am HST

On April 12, 2008 Americans will stand together in cities across the country for change to make their voices heard, holding hands symbolically uniting for change in support of Barack Obama. There will be one voice, one people, united together as Americans that believe in this country's ability to provide true equality and economic feasibility for each and every American, regardless of gender, race, religion or ancestry.

Sign up NOW to be a part of this historic event! Be there on April 12th – Unite for Change in America.

Register to attend at www.newswatchdogservice.com

To organize an event in your city or to find out the location in your city contact nationalcoordinator@newswatchdogservice.com

Volunteers Registration http://newswatchdogservice.com/Obama_Rally.php

2. Hip-Hop in the City of God
Gilbert H. Grosvenor Auditorium at National Geographic Society, Washington DC Friday, 4/11/08 7:30PM
Join us for an evening of provocative conversation, video, and live music as we celebrate the launch of National Geographic Emerging Explorers' Sol Guy and Josh Thome's TV series 4REAL on the new Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Music channels, debuting overseas this spring.

4REAL takes high profile U.S. actors such as Cameron Diaz and Casey Affleck and musicians such as M.I.A. and Flea on a global journey, connecting them with innovative young changemakers who are using art and culture to radically effect positive change in their communities.

In one episode musical artist and actor Mos Def visits the infamous favela "City of God" on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro where he meets up with Brazil's top hip-hop artist and resident MV Bill, whose music, videos, and documentaries expose the harsh realities of life in the favelas and deliver an uncompromising call for social justice.

The event will feature a live performance by MV Bill, clips from 4REAL, and a panel discussion with the filmmakers and MV Bill, moderated by legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D (Public Enemy).

3. Volunteer for Obama for America. What you really need to do is make your next move your best move, and choose Obama. Hop up on your good foot and get active! We don't care if it's raining or snowing, you better be out there volunteering. This campaign can only succeed if you take its future into your own hands. So go here and fill out the form to volunteer for the Obama campaign. Also, check out the SoulGen for Obama webpage!

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Changemakers STAND UP!!!

Here at SoulGen.com, we have a slight problem. The SoulGenCommunity is being overrun with intelligent, attractive, music-loving, progressive, inspiring, energetic individuals...and it would be nearly impossible for us to highlight all of the amazing accomplishments and wisdom that they all bring. We would like to showcase each and every SoulGen changemaker at some point, but with nearly 900 dedicated members and countng, the waiting list is getting pretty thick, but we are working pretty damn hard to let the world know who you are!

SO...

WE think that YOU should tell US why we should feature YOU in our SoulGenCommunity updates, our SoulGen Newsletter (coming very soon) and on our NEW SoulGen.com HomePage (set to launch mid-April)!

If you have a great story to tell about you, your work, your accomplishments etc., don't be afraid to let us know! Your amazing story just might inspire someone else!

E-Mail SoulGen here in the Community or at info@soulgen.com.

We at SoulGen are proud to be supporting such an important event as the First Person World Premiere and Benefit Concert in Philadelphia (see graphic above for more information). “If you really want to understand the challenges of young people growing up in the 21st century, see this film,” says Lisa Nutter, the President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc. and Philadelphia’s First
Lady. “You will want to get up and be part of the solution.”

The man in the producer's and director's chair for this impressive film is SoulGenCommunity member Benjamin Herold.

Herold holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he has worked as an educator, trainer, program evaluator, policy researcher, and community organizer. Herold has published on the college-going patterns of Philadelphia public high school graduates and on privatization in Philadelphia school reform; served for five years on the editorial board of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook; and worked with young people of all ages to highlight the critical importance of youth voices in education, community development, and policymaking. First Person is Herold’s first documentary project.

Be sure to drop by Ben's page and give him props on the documantary!
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What's up great people?!

As you're all aware, SoulGenesis has officially endorsed Barack Obama. Across the country, members of the SoulGen community have meen mobilizing in droves in support of the Obama campaign. You also may have heard that Pennsylvania is going to be one of the most critical states in the overall election process, and since SoulGen.com is based out of Philadelphia, PA, we have decided that we need to do everything within our control to help OUR candidate.

With the Democratic primaries reaching a crucial point, we believe that it would be in the best interest of not only our SG community, but also the entire nation, to focus our energy on Obama's campaign. Therefore...between now and April 22nd (and beyond, of course) SoulGenesis will serve as an Obama resource for you. Check our site as much as possible for some of the latest news on the campaign of our next President, Barack Obama. If you have information, please feel free to post it. Pictures? Videos? Articles? Post them TOO!!!

If you're interested in getting involved, please keep reading, and keep checking back for upcoming SoulGen / Obama events. SoulGen will be partnering with other local and national Obama-supporters to ensure his nomination. Of course, this election has international implications as well, and since SoulGenesis is represented in more than 125 countries we believe that we can make a difference. So whether you live in London or Liberia, we're sure you have family/friends in the US so call/email/text message them and let them know why they need to be down with Obama!

One Love!