Appearing at an anti-gun violence event in Atlanta over the BET Hip Hop Awards weekend, Snoop Dogg spoke briefly about networking with separate communities to bring forth collective change against gang violence. The event was hosted by The League of Young Voters as a part of their national “No Guns Allowed” campaign, a movement inspired by Snoop’s 2013 single of the same name.
The event, billed as “No Guns Allowed: Fallout from Ferguson,” served as a platform for discussion about both police brutality and killings in the wake of Michael Brown’s death as well as more general gun violence throughout the U.S.
Addressing the continued prevalence of gang violence across the country, Snoop Dogg spoke specifically about Los Angeles in an effort to bridge the gap with other cities suffering from similar statistics.
“L.A. is known for gangbanging,” he said. “We are one of the originators of gangbanging. So if we could gel together to find ways to work together and end the gang-violence hopefully—with the help of you guys—we’ll be able to go around the globe and go to our urban [areas] and inner cities and rid the violence and give these kids something other to inspire [towards] other than being a gang member or drug dealer.”
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Tarik Ross, President of the rapper’s Snoop Youth Football League and a community relations director for one of the event’s corporate sponsors, spoke in solidarity with those seeking justice in a string of recent killings by police.
“To prevent events like Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Jordan Davis, Michael Brown, I just feel that we have to be diligent,” Ross said. “We have to work together. We have to fight for justice no matter where it is.”
The event also featured appearances from the Ferguson youth group Lost Voices as well as family of Mike Brown. CEO of AllHipHop, Chuck Creekmur, attended and emphasized the importance of dialogue about issues of gun safety.
“Well first of all I think it’s important that we talk about gun-violence in our communities,” he said. “Too many of our men, women, children are being killed due to gun-violence.”
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Michael Brown Sr., the father of an unarmed teen shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri in August, thanked the audience in attendance.
“I appreciate all the support,” he said. “I love ya’ll. I love ya’ll. I do not want this to happen to no one else. Nobody, in no country. Especially not here again. But I do respect all of ya’ll for the support.”
