QUEENS — Grammy- and Academy Award-winning rapper Common will come to downtown Jamaica next week to nudge local residents to register to vote for the upcoming elections, organizers said.
The musician and actor who won the 2015 Academy Award for his song "Glory" from the 2014 film "Selma," will stop by Rufus King Park next Tuesday and take the stage during a “Turn Up The Vote” party to talk about the importance and need for voter registration on National Voter Registration Day.
The party, co-hosted by Democracy Works, TurboVote, Starbucks and the rapper's Common Ground Foundation, seeks “to promote voter registration, community engagement, and service,” the organizers said.
During the event, which is free and open to the public, residents will be able to register to vote. There will be performances and free Starbucks drinks, the organizers said.
Power 105’s DJ Envy and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz are also scheduled to participate, the organizers said.
“The event is intended to engage the community around the importance of voting, not just in national elections but in important local elections where you have a meaningful opportunity to elect representatives you think can best address the issues and effect the changes you want to see in your community,” the organizers said in an email.
The Common Ground Foundation did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
“Turn Up The Vote” party is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Rufus King Park at Jamaica Avenue and 153rd Street in downtown Jamaica.
