TODAY: New York city-wide YOUNG PEOPLE SPEAK OUT event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kevin Powell, BK Nation, Hot 97, Vibe, Global Grind, New York Institute of Technology, and Prezi Partner On ‘YOUTH TRUTH: Young People Speak Out!’   October 23, 2013, NEW YORK, NY-In an innovative and bold initiative to hear, support, and amplify the voices of young people, BK Nation, a new national organization focused on education, leadership, violence prevention, jobs, and civic engagement, is partnering with popular brands Hot 97, Vibe, Russell Simmons’ Global Grind, and Prezi to launch “YOUTH TRUTH: Young People Speak Out!” The kick-off event will take place Wednesday, October 30, at the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway in Mid-town Manhattan (1871 Broadway, between 61st and 62nd Streets), doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and the event begins at 5:30 p.m.  This is a free event and ALL young people of all backgrounds are welcome. Says Kevin Powell, BK Nation’s president and cofounder (“BK” stands for “Building Knowledge”): “BK Nation was created with one of our main goals being a bridge to information, services, and resources for our communities across America, both online and offline. Young people are clearly our most valuable resource. We have a great responsibility as adults, as influencers, to do everything in our power to make sure our youth and young adults are exposed to the very best life possibilities and opportunities. And we must also help create safe spaces where they can speak, and where we must listen, without judgment or criticism, to what they feel, want, need.” YOUTH TRUTH will be a regular quarterly event beginning in 2014 (March, June, September, and December) featuring djs, music, poetry, dance, skits, demonstrations and most importantly, a very real and lively conversation for and by young people. Kevin Powell will serve as moderator of this first gathering and every YOUTH TRUTH will focus on “action steps” and “solutions”; and the importance of younger people getting involved in their communities, schools, college campuses, as well as other ways to affect social change, for themselves and for their peers. There will be a few dozen organizations and agencies tabling at YOUTH TRUTH with a wide range of information, resources, and tools around education, violence and bullying, HIV/AIDS, conflict resolution, jobs and internships, and more. Additionally, given the huge impact of their brands on young people, Hot 97, Vibe, Global Grind, and Prezi will also actively engage social media during YOUTH TRUTH. Live streaming will happen at the websites of both Hot 97 (www.hot97.com) and BK Nation (www.BKNation.org), while Vibe (@VibeMagazine) and Global Grind (@GlobalGrind) will live tweet. Visuals for the event are made using Prezi, the innovative zooming-presentation software (www.prezi.com). So while local in location YOUTH TRUTH will be national and global in its impact on youth and young adults everywhere. For more information on BK Nation please visit http://www.bknation.org/our-mission/ and follow on Twitter @BKNationOrg