Dice Raw presents "M.I.A. Day (Mass Incarceration Awareness Day)"

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Out of the 10.4 million Black males in the U.S. population, nearly 1.5 million are in prisons and jails, with another 3.5 million more on probation or parole or who have previously been on probation or parole. Not only do Black males make up nearly 75% of the total prison population, according to Michelle Alexander, author of bestseller, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, “More African American men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began”.

In partnership with BMe (Black Male Engagement), Roots affiliate Dice Raw presents “M.I.A. Day (Mass Incarceration Awareness Day)” on Thursday, August 29, 2013, at 2 PM to be held in Philadelphia Mayor Nutter’s Reception Room, City Hall, Room 202.

The purpose of the event is to minimize the negative conversations about Black males and the prison system and to maximize the positive conversations about Black males who were in the prison system and are now dedicating their life in making a difference for the next generation. Panel organizers hope to help the community stop talking about issues and begin the conversation around existing solutions. There will also be a viewing of Dice Raw’s documentary, “Jimmy’s Back: The Men Behind The Music”, which has received wide online praise (http://youtu.be/EXByhg5iHAI).

CONFIRMED BMe PANEL DISCUSSION PARTICIPANTS

Mike Gross (Master of Ceremony)

Tayyib Smith (Moderator)

Shaka Singhor (Guest Speaker) Author, BMe Detroit Winner, Founder of The Atonement Project

Will Little (Guest Speaker) Poet, and Founder of Poetree N Motion

Dice Raw, Producer/Performer for the Grammy Award-winning Hip-Hop band, The Roots.

Joseph Douglass, Mentor, Employment Coordinator for Impact’s Ex-Offender and Parenting of Services Dept.

Aja Beech, Author & Board Member, Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Biz Porter, Marketing Guru & Hip-Hop Historian; Ex-Felon

Reuben Jones, Founder and President of Frontline Dads

KDot, Performing Artist; Ex-Felon

With so much negative discussion about Black men and mass incarceration, there has not been room to talk about the positive aspect to this issue. However, Dice Raw, rapper/producer for the Grammy Award-winning Hip-Hop band, The Roots, was inspired to write, produce, and record his new album entitled JIMMY’S BACK by The New Jim Crow book. With the album, largely featuring the talents of rappers who have been in the correctional system, he is taking a stance to bring awareness to the tragedy of mass incarceration.

NOTE: DICE RAW’S “JIMMY’S BACK” NOW HAS AN UPCOMING OCTOBER 2013 RELEASE DATE – DELAYED TO HONOR A SPECIAL ONLINE DEBUT REQUEST!

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