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January 17, 2008...

• The Hip Hop Caucus brings its message to Birmingham...
• America's Secretary of State is a black woman from segregated Birmingham -- but that didn't stop her ambition...
• The Alabama Symphony pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King
• Community Calendar
• Birmingham band The White Oaks has singing roots in gospel but also influences from classic and indie rock...

The Hip Hop Caucus is described as a national template for the emerging hip hop generation. It targets young people who transcend ethnic, racial and gender lines and who are interested in world and American affairs. It's CEO, Reverend Lennox Yearwood, is no stranger to organizing. Four years ago, he registered more than a million voters in the "Vote or Die" campaign and continues working to get apathetic audience to the polls. He travels around the country talking about issues that affect a younger generation - the War in Iraq, torture, the environment, corporate scandals. He'll be in Alabama as part of the Birmingham Peace Project's event commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Day this weekend. He spoke with WBHM's Steve Chiotakis.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood and the Hip Hop Caucus

Reverend Lennox Yearwood is CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus. He's speaking Saturday night at 6:30 at the Birmingham Peace Project's Dr. Martin Luther King event at the Church of the Reconciler in downtown Birmingham.

The story of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice starts in segregated Birmingham, but quickly moves to Denver and California where she found success as a student, faculty member and eventually provost at Stanford. Her passion for U.S. foreign relations and security during the 80s and 90s helped propel her to prominent roles in the White House. New York Times Washington correspondent Elisabeth Bumiller tracks Rice's rise to power in a new biography titled: Condoleezza Rice: an American Life. She spoke with Steve Chiotakis about her chronicle of where Rice has been, how she got there and how it all fits into her mantra of ambition and success, no matter the obstacle.

Elisabeth Bumiller interview

Sunday afternoon, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. The title of the concert is Reflect and Rejoice, and the diverse program features music ranging from Copland and Saint-Saens to works by Mark Philips and Adolphus Hailstork. Leslie Dunner leads the orchestra and spoke with WBHM's Michael Krall...

Leslie Dunner interview

Leslie Dunner conducts the Alabama Symphony Orchestrain Reflect and Rejoice: A Community Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The concert is Sunday afternoon at 3 at the Alys Stephens Center.

To hear the audio portion of the Community Calendar from Tapestry, click here.

Want to know more? Activeculture.info is a one-stop source for finding out what's going on in the Birmingham metro area.

They're only a year old, but in a short time, The White Oaks have managed to fine tune their writing and vocals to produce a tight sound that they hope will win over audiences. It seems to be working -- their songs have been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program Reg's Coffeehouse, and, for what it's worth, The White Oaks seem to be developing a local following courtesy of their MySpace page. Noel Johnson plays guitar and sings -- and Matt Jackson plays bass and also sings. This is the song "How Can You Sleep?" (AUDIO MONTAGE)

Tapestry is produced by Tanya Ott and Michael Krall, with reporting this week from Steve Chiotakis and Islara Vazquez. Next week on the program, Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars come to town. I'm Greg Bass and we'll see you next week.