Peace and much Love Hiphoppas!

The Temple Of Hiphop is pleased to announce that Hip Hop Appreciation Week 2009 is May 17-24 and our theme for this year is “COOPERATION”! HHAW, always celebrated during the third week of May, is a time for Hiphoppas to de-criminalize the images of Hip Hop that are portrayed by the mainstream media.

Now is the time, more than ever, for COOPERATION in our communities. The Hip Hop community should work together to organize our people, our knowledge and our resources as we continue to work through the challenges we are facing domestically and globally!

There are many ways in which Hiphoppas can demonstrate COOPERATION, here are a just few suggestions. During HHAW we encourage Hiphoppas to intentionally:

- Work with individuals and organizations that are working to make your community better.
- Use HHAW as an opportunity to end personal disputes with anyone that you have had challenges with.
- Volunteer with non-profit organizations, share your gifts and talents with your community, i.e. teach a class, mentor a youth, etc.
- Network, build new alliances, form coalitions and partnerships that are mutually beneficial to all.
- Become involved with a neighborhood watch group, community beautification committee, etc.
- Create artistic collaborations using the various elements of Hip Hop culture.
- Live, Teach and Promote the principles of the Hiphop Declaration Of Peace.

HHAW gives Hiphoppas a great opportunity to show the world who we are, whose we are and what we are here to do! Remember, we are not doing hip-hop, we are Hiphop, word!