Spotlight PR brings quality public relations assistance into reach for mission-driven causes as well as socially conscious entrepreneurs, celebrities and executives.

Month: May 2020

This Statement Can Be Attributed to Jennifer Farmer, on Behalf of Michael Render, pka Killer Mike

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ATLANTA – Following a heartfelt speech during a press conference with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Michael Render, publicly known as Killer Mike, has been inundated with media calls and requests for comment. His personal publicist, Jennifer R. Farmer, issued the following statement detailing that Mr. Render will not grant additional interviews at this time:

“It’s been said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. What you witnessed last night was a heart overflowing with pain and frustration of being constantly told to wait on freedom. Freedom is not just being able to walk around unencumbered. It is being able to live without fear that one will be gunned down without reprisal or justice. It is knowing that you can earn a living wage and care for yourself and your family. It is seeing an end to systemic racism. Watching Black men and women, even children, killed by police over and over again is heartbreaking, and it is heavy. It is especially difficult to be asked to process one’s emotions on an open stage. This is not a theoretical exercise. It is a lived one.

“At this time, Mike will not comment further. We know that this issue is important, and we urge you to go to grassroots leaders and seek comment from them. Examples include:

  • Next Level Boys Academy in Atlanta
  • Latonya Gates, PAW Kids in Atlanta
  • Zakiya Sankara Jabar in Silver Spring, Maryland
  • Rev. Ben McBride and Pastor Michael McBride in Oakland, California
  • Mary Hooks, Southerners on New Ground in Atlanta
  • Ash-Lee Henderson, Highlander Center in Tennessee
  • Montague Simmons in St. Louis, Mo.

“These are people and the organizations they represent who are doing the heavy lifting, and we recognize and applaud their leadership.”

 

Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

Killer Mike and T.I.’s Bankhead Seafood Serves First Responders

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For Immediate Release

May 19, 2020

ATLANTA – Seeking to support first responders amid the coronavirus pandemic, Michael Render, publicly known as Killer Mike, and Tip “T.I.” Harris, have partnered with the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Foundation and WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South to serve meals to firefighters and healthcare workers through their Bankhead Seafood food truck.

The Bankhead Seafood food truck, went to Atlanta Fire Station 22 on Wednesday, May 20, and will go to WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South on Friday, May 22. Firefighters from stations  16, 22 and 38 (which are all near Bankhead Seafood) were served.

“Everyone says “thank you” to first responders. This is an opportunity to put action behind our words of appreciation,” Render said. “These are true community heroes and we want to show them we value their work and sacrifice.”

The May 20 and May 22 events follow a May 6 effort where Render and Harris teamed up with the community enrichment organization, PAWkids and served meals to 500 Atlantans. The meals were provided by Mercedes Benz. The duo also delivered cash, groceries and other household items to several families in Atlanta’s Grove Park neighborhood.

Render is a Grammy award-winning rapper, businessman, activist and one half of the Hip Hop duo, Run the Jewels. Harris is an actor, Grammy award-winning rapper, businessman, and activist. The duo partnered with Noel Khalil, and purchased Bankhead Seafood in 2018 from Mrs. Helen Harden. They launched a food truck earlier this spring in advance of the reopening the restaurant in 2021.

WHO:                         Bankhead Seafood, Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation, WellStar Atlanta Medical South

WHAT:                      Bankhead Seafood Food Truck Meal Service to First Responders

WHEN:                      Wednesday, May 20 at Atlanta Fire Station 22

                                    817 Hollywood Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Friday, May 22 at WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South

1170 Cleveland Avenue, East Point, GA

Fire Station 16 and Fire Station 38

Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

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Following the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, Urges Black People to take Second Amendment Rights Seriously

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For Immediate Release

May 7, 2020

Following the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, Urges Black People to take Second Amendment Rights Seriously

ATLANTA – The African American community is again grieving after a triggering and graphic video depicting the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man gunned down while jogging near Brunswick, Georgia. Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, an activist, businessman, Grammy Award-winning rapper, and one half of the Hip Hop duo, Run the Jewels, issued the following statement:

“Black people in this country, please take full advantage of your Second Amendment rights. People of color, people who are not in the majority in this country, please take shooting, training, and the protection of your rights seriously. The police cannot always get to you on time, and the world is not a just place. Further, the police are sometimes in collusion with the perpetrators of your demise.

“The only person you can count on to protect yourself and your family is you. God gave you the right to use whatever tools available to defend your rights. This is what Michael Lynn, Jr. did earlier this week when he and a group of law-abiding men and women escorted Sarah Anthony, a black legislator, to the Michigan state capitol following protests there by throngs of heavily armed white residents. I applaud those Black and Brown men and women for their courage and bravery at a time when it is needed most.

“There isn’t a day that goes by where my wife and I go out the door without being armed. We take gun ownership as seriously as we do tend to our garden. God gave us the right to use all available tools to defend ourselves and that is what we intend to do.

“I don’t want to say things that could be inflammatory or hurtful. But I encourage people who look like me to buy a pistol, buy a rifle, train, and to carry your weapon in places where it is legal to do so.

“Beyond Ahmaud Arbery, and the horrible crime that those dirty, evil men did, I want Black people to join his family in defending his legacy and ensuring that it is capped by justice. I want us to ensure that the evil men who killed him (and the police who killed Sean Reed) spend the rest of their lives in jail.

“My wife and I send our deepest condolences to Ahmaud Arbery’s family, and to Sean Reed’s family. We stand in solidarity with those who chase justice. Love and respect.”
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Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

Artist, Producer and Former Empire TV Series Songwriter, Sixx John Speaks Out Following Death of Ahmaud Arbery

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For Immediate Release

May 7, 2020

Artist, Producer and Former Empire TV Series Songwriter, Sixx John Speaks Out Following Death of Ahmaud Arbery

Las Vegas, NV – Following newly released video footage depicting the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man who was gunned down while jogging near Brunswick, Georgia, artist, songwriter and producer Sixx John re-released a song he penned in 2018 lamenting fatal shootings of African Americans. The main bar of Sixx’s “Cotton” says “If you don’t want US in the U.S., you should have picked your own damn Cotton. One too many bodies (Dropping), look what we embodied (Mobbing). From the valley streets to Compton, where we don’t get to see no options.” The song is set to a backdrop of images of civil rights activists being attacked in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to releasing the song on his Instagram account, Sixx issued the following comments:

“I wrote the song Cotton because I got tired of seeing Black people murdered by police and others without justice. Even though I wrote Cotton in 2018, the song is still relevant.

“I have to ask, ‘At what point will things change?’ and ‘Is there even hope for change?’

“Arbery’s killing reflects a broader disdain for Black lives. His death reinforces a concern among Black people, that Black lives aren’t valued. Of course, it’s not just Arbery, it’s not just Georgia. Black people are killed at alarming rates by police and vigilante violence.

“Ahmaud Arbery was participating in a popular American sport when he was killed and the father-son duo who killed him have yet to be apprehended. It doesn’t get more egregious than this. I am not sure how anyone who claims to love freedom and justice could be comfortable with the knowledge of this man’s killing or the broader assault on Black people.”

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Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

Tip “T.I.” Harris and Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, Team Up with PAWkids, Serve Meals to 500 Atlanta Residents & Gift Select Families with $500 in Cash and Food for Two Weeks

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For Immediate Release

May 6, 2020

Tip “T.I.” Harris and Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, Team Up with PAWkids, Serve Meals to 500 Atlanta Residents & Gift Select Families with $500 in Cash and Food for Two Weeks

ATLANTA – Entertainers, businessmen and activists, Tip “T.I.” Harris and Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, today partnered with PAWkids, a community enrichment organization, and served meals to 500 Atlanta residents. The meals consisted of chicken fried rice, fruit and dessert and were sponsored by Mercedes Benz, which distributes more than 1,000 meals weekly to PAWkids, who then serves the food to families in Atlanta’s Grovepark community.

“In any crisis, Black people confront dual challenges. We deal with the challenge of racism, and we deal with the crisis itself. COVID-19 is no exception. What we saw today was an overwhelming sense of need, but also a sense of hope. We are investing in that hope and belief that tomorrow can be better than today,” Harris said.

After serving meals, the Grammy Award winners went to the homes of unsuspecting families and delivered $500 in cash, food for two weeks and personal hygiene products. The families whose homes the entertainers visited were identified by PAWkids’ founder and executive director, Latonya Gates.

“The collaboration with PAWkids is an indication of the relationship Bankhead Seafood hopes to maintain with the local community where both me and Tip grew up,” Render said. “We know there are a lot of people suffering from food insecurity, and giving back is not only our responsibility but our pleasure. An added honor is supporting PAWkids, whom we like to call earth angels.”

Bankhead Seafood’s owners (Harris, Render and Noel Khalil) have grown especially fond of PAWkids, who offer social and emotional supports to children and families. PAWkids’ office sits on property owned by Bankhead Seafood, which allowed the organization to host the food giveaway on Bankhead Seafood’s parking lot.

“I see a lot of Black organizations struggling for a lack of resources,” said Gates. “COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to serve our people. We are doing this through the support of large companies who have given up power and are allowing community-based organizations such as PAWkids to serve our people. This has allowed me to maintain employment during this crisis and decrease food insecurity.”

Contact: Jennifer R. Farmer, jenniferr@spotlightpr.org

Photo credit: Freddy O

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