Hip Hop Congress & Femmixx.com Bring Women Together in Hip Hop Anthology Sistas Speak

New York City & Oakland, CA - October 15, 2007 - Sarah Harris, Interim Director of the Hip Hop Congress Women's Project, and Tachelle "Shamash" Wilkes, Founder of Femmixx.com, The Home Of Female Music Producers, DJs & Emcees, have teamed up to give women their say in Hip Hop with the new anthology, Sistas Speak: Letters To Hip Hop.

Women in Hip Hop have been misrepresented in mainstream media far too long. With the onslaught of women in Hip Hop and media, it is time that women exert their voices. In reality, only a small portion of the women involved in Hip Hop are those seen and talked about in music videos and in commercial radio. The majority of women in Hip Hop are independent artists, organizers, educators, industry executives, and Hip Hop connoisseurs. These women's perspectives are rarely portrayed in the media and rarely recognized in society.

Harris, who lives in Oakland, California, has worked with the national grassroots organization Hip Hop Congress for four years and has been involved in community organizing and working with youth populations since 1999. Wilkes resides in New York City directed and executive-produced "Lady Beat Makers: Vol. 1," a documentary on female urban producers, and co-founded She's My DJ Turntablist Mix & Scratch Battle.

Both women understand the power of words and have joined forces to shine light on the subject matter. Wilkes expresses, "Our goal is to allow all women to share their experiences of Hip Hop. We intend to compile the letters into a book to be published by an independent press." Harris adds on, "We are looking to take a proactive stance in publicizing the unheard female voices from the multiple facets of Hip Hop culture and industry." Women of all aspects of Hip Hop are invited to contribute letters. For information and submission guidelines, please e-mail tachelle [at] femmixx.com or sarah [at] hiphopcongress.com.

Pertinent Info:
http://www.hiphopcongress.org
http://www.femmixx.com