How Hip Hop Caucus Is Using Art, Music & Activism to Transform Climate and Racial Justice
Video: Courtesy of CR8 Agency
Since its founding in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) has transformed the way activism looks, sounds, and moves in Black and Brown communities across the nation. This national, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization sits at the powerful intersection of climate justice, racial justice, and civic engagement—and it does so through the cultural force of hip hop.
Photo: HipHopCaucus.org
Led by creatives, community organizers, and cultural influencers, HHC harnesses music, media, and movement-building to empower frontline communities that have been historically excluded from policy conversations.
At the 2025 Hollywood Climate Summit, HHC hosted two dynamic panels that spotlighted the role of Black creatives in shaping our environmental future. In How Music Mobilizes, Grammy-winning artist Tarriona “Tank” Ball and Senior Director of Storytelling Brittany Bell-Surratt emphasized the enduring role of music as a tool of protest and empowerment.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram (@ThinkTank20, @itsmediabritt)
Meanwhile, How to Show Movements on Screen tackled how film and television can authentically portray collective activism without watering down its urgency.
HHC’s legacy is deeply rooted in social resilience. As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina nears, the organization is launching a national campaign to honor the lives lost and reignite awareness around climate injustice. Katrina, after all, was a foundational moment for HHC—and their commitment today is as fierce as ever.
Photo: NOAA Library/Flickr
Through groundbreaking campaigns like Think 100%, Respect My Vote!, Black to the Future, and Clean Transit Equity, HHC is not just advocating for change—they're creating a cultural shift. Their work reminds us that justice isn’t only found in policy rooms—it’s in the music, in the art, and in the hearts of communities demanding more.
In the words of Brittany Bell-Surratt,
“Once we control the narrative, we can control the future.”
And Hip Hop Caucus is doing just that.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons