While Oprah and Bono paint the town red with their “Product Red” initiative to raise money to fight AIDS in Africa, hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons announced he’s going green to raise green for the development and empowerment of Africans.
Simmons unveiled his “Green Initiative” jewelry to reporters at a news conference yesterday. According to the 49-year-old musician-turned-entrepreneur, 25% of proceeds from sales will go toward the Diamond Empowerment Fund, which “will support institutions, like schools and colleges, in South Africa and Botswana and help boost economic development.”
So why is Simmons who is well known for his popular fashion line, “Phat Farm,” going into the diamond business? He told reporters that the diamond idea came to him during a recent visit to South Africa and Botswana. While there he toured diamond mines and factories, which coincided with efforts by human rights groups to raise awareness about so-called conflict diamonds. Simmons told reporters that the so-called conflict diamonds have long fueled and funded wars in Africa as opposing forces sell the gems to raise funds for weapons. Simmons said, “millions have been killed in Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the diamonds,” but was quick to point out that his diamonds are conflict-free.
“Africans need this industry,” Simmons said, touting the economic benefits to the region, like the funding of many HIV/AIDS clinics.
If the issue of “conflict diamonds” sounds familiar it may be because Hollywood is currently promoting a new film “Blood Diamond,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly, which shows how conflict diamonds financed civil war in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. The film will be in theater’s nationwide on Friday.
Simmons’ “Green Initiative” jewelry isn’t his first foray into the role of activist, the musical maven also created the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network in 2001 to encourage young people to get involved in community development issues. However, Simmons’ is probably best known as co-founder of Def Jam Records, which gave birth to the hip-hop careers of well-known artists such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys.
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