Nappy Roots and Gov Beshear come together to Green the Block in KY

You know there is something different going on when in the great state of Kentucky, when Gov Steve Beshear and the Nappy Roots are out together in Bowling Green on September 11 to remember and honor the victims of the 2001 attacks, and to look to acts of community service that promote Green Jobs as the imperative for a better future for this country.  They were joined by Kentucky Secretary of Finance and Administration Jonathan Miller, Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon, representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and local leaders and residents.

Nappy Roots performed for their hometown residents in Bowling Green at a local Housing Authority project, where residents received information on green jobs, as well as tips on saving energy and purchasing more energy efficient products.

Just see what the Bowling Green Daily News had to say about the event:

At the morning ceremony, before a roomful of local officials and housing authority staff, Beshear asked for a moment of silence on the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The anniversary is not only a day of remembrance, but also of public service, he said. To that end, he touted state and federal programs aimed at cutting energy use and developing new jobs in “green” industries, from environmental businesses to construction firms installing more efficient appliances and architectural features. Conservation is the fastest and most effective way of reducing overall environmental impact, and thus dealing with global warming and related issues, Beshear said.

Krista Mills, Louisville field director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said nearly $5 billion in tax money goes each year to pay energy bills in public housing, so any efficiency measures result in a direct savings for taxpayers.

Improvements are already under way at the housing authority, where old roofs and windows are being replaced with $1.2 million in federal economic stimulus money - and more grant funds for environmentally friendly projects there should be announced soon, she said.

The current focus is on preparing the unemployed or underemployed for a wave of new “green” jobs, said Jonathan Miller, state Finance and Administration Cabinet secretary.

“These are the kind of jobs that can’t be sent away to India or China,” he said.

The Nappy Roots are most known for their 2002 hit Grammy nominated single “Po’ Folks”, so you know the movement is deep, when in 2009 they are talking about green jobs and pathways out of poverty, not as pipe-dreams but as coming to fruition in their hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky.