Obama Inducts JAY Z Into Songwriters Hall of Fame + Bails Men Out of Jail For Father’s Day



Jay Z’s buddy President Obama was on hand to induct his friend into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  Jay Z of course could not make it due to the birth of his twin babies with wife Beyonce.  Jay Z gave his acceptance speech via twitter and thanked a number of rappers including Atlanta’s own 2 Chainz and T.I.  He ended his thank yous with this…

 In addition to celebrating his big induction, Hov is still on his crusade to make a positive impact on the lives of people in his community.  The rapper wrote an OpEd in Time magazine with a focus on “Taking On the Exploitative Bail Industry” as he stated. Take a peek at his plans to bail out men for Father’s Day.

When black and brown people are over-policed and arrested and accused of crimes at higher rates than others, and then forced to pay for their freedom before they ever see trial, big bail companies prosper. This pre-incarceration conundrum is devastating to families. One in 9 black children has an incarcerated parent. Families are forced to take on more debt, often in predatory lending schemes created by bail bond insurers. Or their loved ones linger in jails, sometimes for months—a consequence of nationwide backlogs. Every year $9 billion dollars are wasted incarcerating people who’ve not been convicted of a crime, and insurance companies, who have taken over our bail system, go to the bank.

 

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Last month for Mother’s Day, organizations like Southerners on New Ground and Color of Change did a major fundraising drive to bail out 100 mothers for Mother’s Day. Color of Change’s exposè on the for-profit bail industry provides deeper strategy behind this smart and inspiring action. This Father’s Day, I’m supporting those same organizations to bail out fathers who can’t afford the due process our democracy promises. As a father with a growing family, it’s the least I can do, but philanthropy is not a long fix, we have to get rid of these inhumane practices altogether. We can’t fix our broken criminal justice system until we take on the exploitative bail industry.

Read Jay Z’s piece on Time.




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.



BET Hip Hop Awards Red Carpet PHOTOS

Celebrity Events

BET Hip Hop Awards Red Carpet PHOTOS

READ MORE  
Revolt World Music Festival Sunday PHOTOS

Celebrity Events

Revolt World Music Festival Sunday PHOTOS

READ MORE  
Young Joc Takes Over Atlanta Capitol For Big Birthday Party

Celebrity Events

Young Joc Takes Over Atlanta Capitol For Big Birthday Party

READ MORE