Posted on 01/12/2015 4:44:59 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Since August, when unarmed teenager Michael Brown was killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., young people have rallied in the streets of Ferguson, New York, Oakland, Los Angeles and other cities across the nation and the world. In Long Beach, young people recently began organizing around the slogan #BlackLivesMatter, a campaign born in 2012 after Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted of murder charges. Throughout, music has been an undeniable part of the protests, the latest reminder that when used the right way, music can inspire social change.
“Music can be considered the heartbeat of social movements,” says Eric Tandoc, a DJ and a community organizer at the Filipino Migrant Center in Long Beach. Tandoc regularly uses art to inspire youth to take action on social and political issues.
“Not everyone is going to listen to a speech or read a book, but people will listen to a 3-minute song,” he says.
Nationally, respected musicians such as Questlove of the hip-hop group The Roots have urged musicians to create more protest songs, and artists are responding.
The truth of the matter is, musicians have more influence than I do, and even more influence than they had in the 1980s or 1960s. In the age of social media, the possibility of communication between musicians and their fans has been brought to an all time high. If young people see their favorite musician talking about social change, they might pay more attention to what is happening and be inclined to get involved in making a positive impact.
In his song “Hands Up,” north Long Beach native Vince Staples raps, “Raidin’ homes without a warrant/Shoot him first without a warning/And they expect respect and non-violence/I refuse the right to be silent.” Fellow Long Beach rapper Crooked I, recently going by Kxing Crooked, released “I Can’t Breathe” in which he raps, “So, no, I can’t buy that pellet gun/They might try to Tamir Rice you.”
(Tamir Rice was a 12-year old Black boy who was killed by a police officer in Cleveland)
But lyrics about the current events aren’t just happening locally in Long Beach. Let’s go down the list:
◾Six days after Brown’s death, hip-hop artist J. Cole recorded and released “Be Free.”
◾Lauryn Hill belted out the lyrics, “Black rage is founded on two-thirds a person/Rapings and beatings and suffering that worsens,” on “Black Rage,” which she released a couple weeks after Brown’s death.
◾The Game brought together over ten hip-hop and R&B artists including Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Wale, Swizz Beatz, Curren$y, and TGT to produce “Don’t Shoot.”
◾Tink sang and rapped on “Tell the Children” a few days after the grand jury decided not to indict Wilson for the murder.
◾Rapper Dizzy Wright also released a song called “I Need Answers.”
These songs are the 21st century protest songs. While each of these songs were created as a response to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, they speak to an issue Black communities around the country have been dealing with for centuries. They are reminiscent of Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” and Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” The themes don’t seem to have changed much since the 1960s or 1980s.
When famous musicians don’t speak out, some people are critical.
A few years ago, singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte called out two of today’s biggest musicians, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, saying that they “turned their back on social responsibility.” To Belafonte, those two megastars and other popular artists are at fault for not using their influence to have a positive impact on their fans.
As a young person, I agree with Belafonte: it’s a waste of influence when famous musicians don’t speak up. While it doesn’t necessarily affect whether or not I will continue listening to their music, I personally wish that they would speak at times when there needs to be some action.
Hip-hop artist Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, put it best in his monologue addressing the happenings in Ferguson: “I think many of us are becoming even more aware of where we are, and [there is] urgency to change this miserable condition on this Earth, [as] Malcolm X said.” (Listen to the full audio below.)
If all artists spoke up, I truly believe that it could wake up many more young people to demand change and join causes.
“I think music can play an important role in sparking the motivation in wanting to do something,” Tandoc said, while adding, “The long term organizing is where the true power is.”
*****
Deonna N. Anderson writes for VoiceWaves, a youth-led community news website and trilingual print publication serving Long Beach, Calif., and founded by New America Media.
Jaysus, the very first sentence made me stop reading it.
Do they rap about the black genicide of abortion?
Got to program them to do everything, they aren’t self starters beyond basic functions..
there’s a “movement” ?
ROFL!
right.
And even then, what have they got?
If black lives really matter to the extent they imply they would be looking at the 2 things that kill the most blacks: abortion and black-on-black violence. But those are 2 things they can’t blame on someone else, so.....
CC
Liberal Utopianism: Words like, “Where have all the flowers gone?” ended an unpopular war.
Reality: “Consistent media criticism of the US military and support for the liberal pacifist platform-plank ended the “war” as a disgraceful surrender by the US.”
# BlackLivesMatter, except to black people.
It’s one of those things like the ‘n’ word, that only black people can gratuitously and frequently use with other black people.
But in this case, black people can gratuitously and frequently murder other black people, no problem; but if somebody else *kills* a black person, no matter the reason or justification, they say it is wrong.
# SelfDestructiveHypocrites
:: They are reminiscent of Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” and Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” ::
They forgot the classic protest song; Wesley Willis - “Kill Whitey!”
All lives matter. If you get that your life matters, you will act in accord with that belief. You will walk the walk. A person who thinks that his life matters will act with dignity and integrity on a consistent basis. A person whose life matters acts with self-discipline and self-control. He pursues a course of productivity and responsibility. He rarely gives in to base and destructive behavior.
A person whose life matters accepts responsibility for his circumstances, his actions and where he is in life. Responsibility goes hand in hand with power. You grant power to whom you give responsibility for your life. People whose lives matter take power over their lives by accepting responsibility for those lives.
A life that matters does not blame others. A life that matters is a life lived in appreciation and gratitude rather than resentment, hostility and ingratitude. A life that matters chooses to be productive and is committed to improving itself, its family and the world around it. The person who thinks his life matters is on a path of growth and improvement. If your life matters, you will not waste it. You will not waste your time and energy on the nonproductive or destructive, the low and the dark.
A life that matters acts with honor, dignity and respect — self-respect and respect of others. All lives matter. But all too few actually accept that their lives do matter.
Crips, Bloods, bunch of duds. Word yo.
First of all, it's not a song if it's "hip-hop" or (c)rap. It's pedestrian doggerel that repeats the same tired themes endlessly.
Secondly, the only reason people are willing to listen to a 3-minute ooga-fest is that they're too stupid to read a book or understand a speech, unless it's punctuated by gutter slang and the usual demagogic references to "the Man" and "whitey."
Third, I couldn't care less what a bunch of saggy-butt ghetto gorillas are up to unless they stumble into my suburb with malice on their minds. Then all the "music" in the world ain't gonna save their sorry hides.
Very well written!
“Very well written!”
I appreciate the encouragement. Thanks for taking the time.
we will we will loot you...
” If black lives really matter to the extent they imply they would be looking at the 2 things that kill the most blacks: abortion and black-on-black violence. But those are 2 things they can’t blame on someone else, so.....”
Definitely can’t blame Whitey for black on black crime. But abortion—the fact they aren’t jumping up and down against eugenic assault just shows the depravity of their condition.
Local case. Man holding gun to common law wife’s head. She had complained about fearing him, and had moved him OUT, but had let him back in. He was holding a gun to her head. Freeport TX policeman shot the black man with the gun. The woman thanked the cop for saving her life. Quanal X came down from Houston and said the cop was RIGHT to shoot the armed black man.
Now the woman changed her tune and said that she wasn’t afraid of her “husband” and cops should not have shot him.
Can’t you get into trouble for lying during an investigation, I mean if you aren’t a CLinton...
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