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Hip Hop Caucus to Bring Climate Campus Tour to Schools

Organization behind "Vote or Die" looks to raise awareness on pollution.

In recent years Hip Hop Caucus has teamed up with A-listers like Puff Daddy (PKA, Diddy), 2 Chainz and T.I. to help raise voter awareness and engage today's youth on issues that affect their community.

This time they're turning their attention toward the effects of air pollution, particularly as they pertain to communities of color, and they've tapped some celebrity speakers including Raheem DeVaughn, Amanda Seales, Dee-1, Karen Civil, Rev Yearwood, Rev. Gerald Durley and Dr. Michael Dorsey to help spread the word.

Hip Hop Caucus released the following statement explaining why it is so important for people in the affected communities to be aware of the impact of the air they're breathing in:

"Communities of color suffer significantly higher rates of cancer, asthma, and other heart- and lung-related diseases due to environmental pollution being concentrated in our communities. It is not well understood by our communities that many of our health issues are tied to pollution. This pollution is the same pollution that is causing climate change, which is increasing extreme weather patterns resulting in natural disasters like Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, as well as extreme heat waves and droughts worldwide. It is our communities who are being hurt the most by climate change and pollution. President Obama has a number of policy proposals to improve environmental health, and this tour will highlight the importance of these issues and provide young people a way to be involved in the movement."

The tour has already made its first stop at Hampton University in Virginia, and will continue through the Midwest hitting Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio (April 2), and Wayne State University in Detroit (April 3) before heading back east to Howard University (April 22), North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, North Carolina (April 23), and finishing up at Clark Atlanta University on April 24.

For more information on individual events visit here.

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