Led by Rap Coalition’s Wendy Day and writer-speaker-activist Kevin Powell, the hip-hop community has joined forces to raise relief funds for Jackson, Miss. writer Charlie Braxton, whose one-story home and possessions inside burned to the ground April 14 after a car exploded on crashing into its living room during a high-speed police chase.
Braxton, who has been physically challenged in the legs since birth, was dragged out of the inferno by his asthmatic wife Johnnie after police repeatedly attempted to prevent her from going back inside after she first got their three children out to safety. Braxton, who had no insurance, has written for virtually every hip-hop magazine in the United States, bringing national attention to scores of Midwestern and Southern acts ranging from Twista and to OutKast.
Powell—best known as a member of the first MTV “Real World” cast in New York City and a former star Vibe writer—has sent out an email asking other journalist to send the Braxton family money, mattresses, books, CD’s, clothing, free magazine subscriptions, and writing assignments. Send donations directly to Charlie Braxton, P.O. Box 2595, Jackson, MS 39207.
