Ellington

Remember Haiti. In whatever you do this week, respect the fragile nature of life. Remember Katrina. This week embrace the positive things around you. Recognize the blessings you've been given. Know that in a fleeting moment all that you know can be taken away from you. It can indeed happen to you.

I've taken weeks to process what happened in Haiti. For years, I've been struggling to wrap my brain around what happened on the Mississippi Coast and in New Orleans post-Katrina. I've gone from feelings of anger, deep sadness, to concern, to confusion and then back to anger—anger at those who urged us not to help Haiti, anger at those who made light of another's plight. The selfishness and arrogance that others have accused us of having seemed to manifest itself in the hours after the earthquake.

What if those people influenced others to turn away from the tube? What if Rush Limbaugh or Bubba the Love Sponge had used their platforms to make folks believe that the "Help Haiti" activists were scammers? I've felt helpless wondering if there was something I could do to really help the victims of natural disasters, which have no social class, no race, gender, or political affiliation. Tragedies are the one time that cities or countries are actually united. Everyone feels pain. Everyone experiences loss. It's easy for us to watch those images on TV or the Web and feel numb. What could I do to make a sizable impact?

Despite my best efforts to slowly move away from the hip-hop stage, I know that one thing I can do is entertain the people. One thing I'm sure I can do is rally the troops in concert behind a cause. If it takes me getting on the stage again to have my loyal fans assemble in one venue to remember Haiti, so be it.

Mississippi artist Rob Gold—who had created the organization Hip Hop for Humanity several months back—saw the tragedy in Haiti as the opportune time to unite this state's biggest artists. I watched with pride as he conducted two other donation drives last month. I've always talked about artists' responsibility to their community, and Gold was living it. So it was a no-brainer when he called and asked me to grace a stage on Sunday, Feb. 21, for his biggest push to date to raise money for the victims in Haiti. So for one night, I will join Skipp Coon, PyInfamous and several others who have graced the pages of Jackson Free Press (a sponsor) to perform on one stage. Admission is simply a $5 donation to Haiti relief, and representatives from the Salvation Army will personally be on hand to collect all monies. Tougaloo College, SippHop.com, and the MAP Coalition have joined as co-sponsors as well.

I'm officially putting out a challenge to everyone reading this column. I'm calling all of you out. Whether you're a regular reader of the JFP, my column or a fan of my music. Whether you're black, white, Republican, Democrat, young or old. This is not about any one of us individually but about the world family that we all are a part of. If you have yet to support any relief effort, I challenge you to show up this Sunday. Be a part of something bigger than yourself. If you're on Facebook, send out invites to your friends. Change your profile picture. If you're a big "tweeter," change your avatar to the Haiti benefit flyer. If but for one day and for a few hours, give a damn. And give back.

And that's the truth ... sho-nuff.

The Hip Hop for Humanity Concert for Haiti Relief is Sunday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. at Dreamz Jxn, 426 Capital St. For more info, call Rob Gold at 601-519-7016 or Martin White at 769-233-3469.