Over the weekend, Madison played host to the third annual "Hip Hop Generation, Hip Hop as a Movement Conference." The weekend of events began Friday afternoon, as http://madison.indymedia.org/local/images/audio.gif">150 students marched down state street in an event aimed at "restoring democracy".

At one panel on Saturday, UW-Madison students and community activists from throughout the country gathered at UW-Madison's Union South to discuss how to struggle against institutionalized forms of oppression within their communities. For over three hours the audience members listened to and questioned such activists as Rose Clemente (community youth organizer and host of the public affairs program "Where We Live" on WBAI in New York), Alex Sanchez and http://madison.indymedia.org/local/images/audio.gif">Sylvia Beltran of Homies Unidos in Los Angeles, Dr. Maurice Henderson (National Black Arts activist), http://madison.indymedia.org/local/images/audio.gif">Sharda Sekaran (Associate Director of the New York based Drug Policy Alliance), and Arcelia "Chira" Martinez, community organizer from Milwaukee.

The keynote speaker was the eagerly awaited http://madison.indymedia.org/local/images/audio.gif">Fred Hampton Jr., son of assassinated Black Panther Party organizer Fred Hampton and president of the National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement.

http://madison.indymedia.org/local/images/audio.gif">Listen to Ricky Indian discuss reggae and hip hop, and http://madison.indymedia.org/local/images/audio.gif">listen to Congressional candidate Dr. Jonathan Farley convey a message to the Hip Hop Conference.

Read more about the conference.