by Eric Ture Muhammad
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)�The music industry shook to its foundation on Sept. 18, when media, music and fashion mogul Russell Simmons announced star studded support for the Oct. 16 Million Family March on Washington, D.C., called by the leader of the Nation of Islam to rebuild families.

"I believe this march will have a dramatic effect on race relations. It�s a march about the human family, rising above color and religion, symbols and creed," said Mr. Simmons in a statement released through his company RUSH Communications.

According to Mr. Simmons, the entertainment initiative is designed to bring the hip hop community to the Million Family March (MFM) and utilize music artists, executives and management to mobilize millions of fans around MFM�s National Agenda public policy issues, voter registration, voter education and "turn-out-to-vote" campaigns in every congressional district in the United States.

"The Minister has been the greatest influence that hip hop has ever had," Mr. Simmons said in an exclusive Final Call interview. "Min. Farrakhan will always tell the truth and the (hip hop) culture is on his side. I think it�s so great that the Will Smiths�, the Whitney Houstons��all of them�have enough heart to stand behind him."

Mr. Simmons and his wife Kimora Lee, lead the co-chair committee along with Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, singers Whitney Houston and husband Bobby Brown, Sean "Puffy" Combs of Bad Boy Entertainment, actress, rapper and now television talk show host Queen Latifah, Abdul Haqq Islam of University Music and actor, comedian Chris Tucker.

Serving on MFM�s Entertainment Committee are singers Mary J. Blige, Kelly Price, D�Angelo, and Joe; comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, and D.L. Hughley; singer and producer Isaac Hayes; rappers Ice Cube, DMX, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Common, Eve, Dead Prez, Gipp from the Goodie Mobb, Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z, Jam Master Jay of RUN-DMC and producer Derick D-Dot Angeletti. Rapper Rev. Run of RUN-DMC and singers Macy Gray, Erykah Badu, Ms. Price and Ms. Blige are confirmed to perform Oct. 16.

"We are thankful to Allah (God) for this unprecedented breakthrough of support coming from Russell Simmons, 360HipHop.com and the magnificent array of talented and gifted brothers and sisters in the entertainment industry," remarked an overjoyed Min. Benjamin F. Muhammad, the MFM national director.

"These brothers and sisters are stars in their own right, in an industry that shapes the minds of our people�particularly the youth. This is a great step forward for the Million Family March and the vision of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. It is an inclusive vision, and what this represents is the entertainment community taking leadership and responsibility for lifting the family up as the most important unit of our society," he concluded.

"I think that artists, because of their leadership role, this call means a lot. They are significant members of the Black community. In addition to that, the lion�s share of the artists I know have children themselves," noted music executive Abdul Haqq Islam.

"Without the support of my family, I would not be where I am today," he told The Final Call. "My parents worked and in my teen years, I had three children. My parents raised my children and made it possible for me to attend Howard University, work on my graduate degree and start a business." His business, University Music is responsible for the careers of R&B acts Dru Hill, Sisqo and Mya.

"Today, my children are in some of the best colleges in the country but none of this would be possible if I did not have the support of family. My endorsement of the Million Family March is 100 percent because the importance of family has been evident throughout my life," he said.

In addition to the Entertainment Committee, the march has drawn an impressive list of media industry movers and shakers. Moguls such as Bob Johnson (BET), Cathy Hughes (Radio One), Clarence Avant, Spike Lee (40 Acres and A Mule), Keith Clinkscales (Vanguarde Media), James Lassiter (Overbrook Entertainment), Damon Dash (Roc-A-Fella Entertainment), Lionel Ridenhour (Arista Records), Damon John (Fubu), Karl Kani, (Kani Fashion), Lyor Cohen (Island/Def Jam Records), Marvet Britto (the Britto Agency), Steve Stoute (Interscope Records), Ron Gillard (Arista Records), Kedar Massenburg (Motown Records), Kevin Liles (Def Jam Records), Andre Harell (Bad Boy Entertainment), Shakim Compere (Flavor Unit Records), David Mayes (The Source), Emil Wilbekin (Vibe magazine), Bobby Shriver (Special Olympics), Tracey Maitland (Advent Capitol), and Leyla Turkkan (360hiphop.com).

In conjunction with Min. Farrakhan, RUSH Communications in its statement acknowledged "an unprecedented coalition stands in solidarity to support what may be a turning point in American history."

The march coalition includes Kweisi Mfume (NAACP), Hugh Price (Urban League), Martin Luther King III (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), Rev. Al Sharpton (National Action Network), the Congressional Black Caucus, the African Methodist Church, community groups and religious leaders across the nation.

"Together, they represent the first unified initiative to reconstruct the American family and galvanize social transformation in the 21st century," the statement concludes.

"As artists," said Mr. Simmons, "they need spiritual guidance to effect the rest of the community. I believe the Minister is the greatest hope they have right now. I want this march as great as I can help make it. There is a great opportunity to put God and spirituality back into the people."

"Right now, we are witnessing the steady erosion of family life in America," said Min. Farrakhan. "We must bring the family together and mobilize families spiritually, morally for spiritual and economic change."

Photo: Russell Simmons with Min. Farrakhan at the 1997 Hip-Hop summit.  The summit was ignored by many major media outlets, but rappers joined with the leader of the Nation of Islam and vowed to end their feuding, work for peace and promote music that would uplift and focus on saving lives.