Rappers The Game and Snoop Dogg invited fans to hit the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday morning (17Jul16) to lead another peace rally with members of rival gangs the Bloods and Crips.
The hip-hop stars have become leading voices in the fight for social justice, particularly after the deaths of African-Americans Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were both fatally shot by police in separate incidents earlier this month (Jul16). They have also called on fellow activists to protest peacefully, after five cops were targetted by a sniper in an attack at a Black Lives Matter march in Dallas, Texas on 7 July (16) in the wake of Sterling and Castile's killings.
Snoop and The Game led by example the morning after the Dallas murders by leading a peace rally in Los Angeles to ease growing tensions between the black community and local police officials, while the Dreams hitmaker later encouraged rival gang members to come together and unite for the cause.
And this weekend, The Game extended an invite for gangsters to join the rappers and religious leader Louis Farrakhan for the Time To Unite: United Hoods + Gangs Nation event in a passionate note on Instagram.com.
He wrote: "Los Angeles, on behalf of myself @SnoopDogg, & the honorable @louisfarrakhan I want to extend the invitation to all CRIPS, BLOODS, ESE's & all other gang members, major figures & GANG LEADERS from every hood in our city as well as the surrounding cities to our meeting... to have the much needed conversation amongst ourselves about our influence on the youth in our respective neighborhoods & how we can serve as better role models to them & the brothers we stand beside daily..."
The 36-year-old went on to explain it is imperative that the African-American community start to look within itself to help reduce the amount of lives lost to violence every year.
"Because the sad truth that no one wants to face is, before we can get OUR LIVES TO MATTER to anyone else... We have to show that OUR LIVES MATTER to US !!!!," he continued. "WE have been responsible for more of the KILLING of ourselves than anyone else by a long shot & the percentages in which BLACK on BLACK, BLACK on BROWN, BROWN on BLACK, BROWN on BROWN murders are so f**king high verses any other killing of us that it is disgusting & this needs to be addressed & laid to rest !!!!! Don't think we can't change it & better ourselves, lead by example & make our city a safer place for our children.... Because together, WE CAN !!!!"
Like The Game's previous rally, he also asked anyone who attended to leave any weapons at home and help keep the demonstration peaceful.
