In an effort to get more Millennials of color to the voting booths, a series of hip-hop focused events will kick off this month and continue through – or beyond –  2020.

The event, called "Our City, Your Vote," was created by Kennita Hickman, owner of the branding agency Catera and the event producer for Ex Fabula storytelling/community organization.

"I wanted to organize something that supported civic engagement through hip-hop musicians," says Hickman. "This is a hip-hop powered voter engagement initiative to encourage voter registration with Milwaukeeans who are millennials, African American and hip-hop consumers."

"Our City, Your Vote" takes place Tuesday, Sept. 25 – which is National Voter Registration Day – at the Riverwest Public House, 815 E. Locust St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The free event will feature music by Lord Fredd33 and DJ Dripsweat along with food from Tandem and Rise & Grind.

Attendees who are not already registered voters will be asked to sign a "pledge card," promising to go to the polls for local and national elections. Hickman’s goal is to get signatures on 2,500 pledge cards.

"Often we see problems and are not sure what to do. I see this as an opportunity for me to help fix something," says Hickman.

This is the first event in a series that will run through 2020. The 2018 initiative is presented in partnership with #IVoted, a national not-for-profit music/civic engagement organization that’s making a stop in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Nov. 6 to promote national mid-term elections. 

"Milwaukee is our city. It belongs to all of us and what it becomes is up to us and it starts with our vote," says Hickman.