The 2021 Unity for Humanity Summit hosted a fireside chat on Tuesday between Award-winning US Hip-Hop Artist, Actor, and Activist Common (Lonnie Rashid Lynn) and Dr David Washington, Unity Social Impact Advisory Board Member, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer at HiDef, Inc, and Founder and CEO at Partnerships for Purpose.
The talk explored the concepts behind Unity’s ‘Changemakers’, or content creators targeting social impact in their respective communities, and discussed influences from the Grammy-winning artist’s life and how his career led to the founding of a key Unity school in Chicago and subsequent partnership with the real-time 3D (RT3D) content platform’s social impact department.
Unity and the ‘Immersive Environment’
When asked by Dr Washington how environments affected content creation, Common explained how he aimed to create spaces that “censored” him and allowed him to become his “highest, best, and creative self”, namely amid his busy lifestyle as a performing artist and actor.
Speaking on the Unity Summit’s tagline of “The world is a better place with more creators in it,” Common explained how such creative platforms allowed users to express their “truest self,” stating,
“The most beneficial thing you can do as a creator is express from your truest self, [which] may come with a combination of things you’ve experienced, imagined, and things that inspire you, and I believe you [need] the tools and resources that allow you to express [it]”
Speaking further on creators, Common said they were people that were “actually changing the world in the best ways” and added creators reached audiences in ways that speeches or information may not by presenting certain issues to “make something beautiful.”
Common explained further, stating,
“I think that’s what creators do. They take things out of their imagination and present it in a way where we can receive it, and I think it could be applied to so many spaces in life”
He spoke on his role in the movie “Selma”, which showed the creativity of civil rights activist strategies to change laws in the United States. His character, musician and activist James Bevel, organised successful protests across the US with teenagers to expose to onlookers abuses from law enforcement.
Unity for Education
When asked about his passion for the Unity platform, which promoted and facilitated education for users across the world, Common cited his mother, Mahalia Ann Hines, a former educator and retired principal who remained active in the community with his Common Ground Foundation and who contributed ideas to his Art in Motion (AIM) creative arts school in Chicago.
We couldn’t be more grateful for our mentors! On our first official #MentorMonday, we are highlighting the “Mama of All Mentors,” CGF’s very own Dr. Mahalia Hines. We would be nowhere without you! Who in your life has dared you to dream big? Tag them here and say thank you! pic.twitter.com/rxX3PwtO0M
— CommonGroundFND (@CommonGroundFND) October 11, 2021
Explaining further on the benefits of education, Common said,
“Education has been a foundation for me because my mother was like, ‘Hey, this is how you’re going to make it in life’, and she didn’t actually know I would be an artist or musician, but the information I received and the way I applied myself towards education [really] allowed me to go out into the world and almost do anything I wanted to do”
Through his mother’s encouragement, he learned he would receive ‘privileges’ with his education that afforded him opportunities to pave his way as an award-winning artist and actor.
For creators, the desire to continously learn and grow was an crucial asset, he said.
‘Imagine’ and the Unity for Humanity Summit Theme
Dr Washington segued to Common’s latest single ‘Imagine’, which created the theme for the Summit.
Citing the song lyrics “Imagine layers in the game where we’re all players”, he spoke about his work in the music studio with other artists and the importance of imagination in developing creative content.
The song covered what he “would like to see in the world” and empowered the artist, but reminded him to see the world in a different light, despite negative forces and aspects taking place in society.
He explained the meaning behind the song, stating,
“It was my way of saying to the planet, the Universe, and the people that, hey many, there are brighter days as long as we see them. There are brighter days, and we can create anything”
Common alluded to the theme of people contributing to the positive vision of the world via individual and group efforts, which also coincided with the Unity for Humanity Summit theme.
“Whether you’re a gamer, or an artist, or a teacher, we all have a part [that’s] acknowledged and recognised”, he explained, speaking on concerns on social justice issues such as inequality among minorities, women, Muslims, the environment, and the LGBT community.
When asked about the difficulties of advancing social causes with content creation, Common urged users to choose something they were passionate about, “find out what your gifts are, and how you can contribute to that cause.”
He cited his social justice work in civil rights law in California, namely with systemic inequality in the US prison system. Following Common’s extensive bipartisan meetings with lawmakers, his work led to the state passing SB.394, which blocked courts from sentencing minors to life without parole.
Common explained Unity’s ‘Imagine’ grant, which provides funding for Unity content creators, would not have specific ‘guardrails’ for submissions, adding,
“The only thing I can tell them to do is to be as creative and free as possible, and tap into the things you think are incredible, and just bring [your] truth and honesty, and everything works out perfectly from there”
The Unity for Humanity Summit united numerous charities, influencers, officials, and content creaters across workshops, networking sessions, and panel discussions to hold talks on the need of RT3D content in creating social change and impact. Summit panels discussed such themes as the Metaverse, mental health and wellness, community initiatives, content creation and development, among many others.
