Families Call to Artist
Mothers of Anothony Baez, Ramarley Graham, Anthony Rosaio, and Malcolm Ferguson, ask artist to help tell their stories by dedicating original music or 6 - 8 bars to a complilation that will be released in 2014.
Artist at Spiritchild Studio recording song for the families 2013
Families of Anthony Baez, Hilton Vega, Anothony Rosario & Nicholas Heyward Sr. 2013
Project Description & Instructions
The Justice Committee, in collaboration with families who have lost members to the NYPD, is calling on MC's, singers & poets to contribute to the movement to end police violence.
We ask you to create music or rhymes dedicated to the families and their continued struggle for justice for their loved ones. These tracks will be compiled into a mixtape, which will be used to bring attention to the cases of those who have been killed.
If you would like to participate in this project, please email: To RSVP email info@justicecommittee.org
Submission Instructions
1. Ways to Contribute: There are three ways you can support this project.
You can:
● Contribute an original independently produced track that honors the mothers and family members of people killed by the NYPD.
● Record 4--8 bars of vocals (using the attached beat) for a compilation track with various artists that honors mothers' and family members' struggles for justice.
● Share a previously recorded track dedicated to raising awareness around the issue around the violence and discriminatory practices of the NYPD.
2. Content considerations: You may choose to focus your submission on a single family's case, speak to all those who've lost children or somewhere in between. You may want to consider these quotes:
"We need to hear what I cannot express and what my son cannot express because he's not here. I would like for the artists to bring that pain out that I hold inside for my son." ~Margarita Rosario, the mother of Anthony Rosario (killed in 1995).
"These are the young men and women who purchase your cds. Come and show support your support for them. Because they are the future and it could be one of you next. And if they can get gunned down, we might now have a future." ~Constance Malcolm, mother of Ramarley Graham (killed in 2012)
"When you play, let everybody feel the spirits all around them...(The NYPD has) taken away our loved ones and our hearts continually bleed. We want them to know the spirits are surrounding all the parents." ~Juanita Young, mother of Malcolm Ferguson (killed in 2000.)
**There are several family members who have expressed interested in working more intensively with artists. If you would like to be connected to one of these family members please let us know. (We should only add this after we have confirmation from family members.)
3. Please be respectful: The mothers request that artists don't curse on the tracks, but urge you to be creatively passionate.
4. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 22, 2013.
5. How your submissions will make a difference: The Justice Committee and the Present Collective will be compiling submissions into a mixtape. We plan to release this mixtape in support of the on-going struggle the families of victims of NYPD violence for police accountability in New York City.