blackwiki - User contributions [en]

Your Ghost by Dave Hause featuring Amythyst Kiah and Kam Franklin (2020)

2021-02-25T05:58:13Z

Fasya:

[[File:Your Ghost Cover.jpg|thumb|Your Ghost Cover]]

A singer-songwriter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Hause Dave Hause] was born on March 12, 1978 who performs both solo and with his band The Mermaid. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Hause Dave Hause]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

'''Your Ghost''' is a song written in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The song is in ways, a spiritual successor to the singer’s 2017 ''“Season’s Greetings from Ferguson.”'' Your Ghost, reflected Hause’s anger and exhaustion at the injustice, in the refrain ''“How long will there be this song of ‘I can’t breathe’?''

The track cut midway through a lyric, the singer says about the new track:

''"It’s a privilege to write songs for a living, and I write them to try to make some sense of the chaotic world in which we live. I watched the footage of George Floyd’s murder from the safety of my home, and I experienced the outrage, despair, and grief that so many of us shared. My brother Tim and I got to work on this song that week as a way to try to process what we had all collectively witnessed. We tried and initially failed to get the right tone, but as we worked at it, we learned about our blind spots on these issues and how to wrestle with them. But that nagging question again… am I just another white guy singing about someone else’s experience? Yes, I am. But could this song make a difference? Even a small one?"'' <ref>Jay, Melannie. [https://thekey.xpn.org/2020/07/07/dave-hause-your-ghost/ Dave Hause’s “Your Ghost” shows the frustration of the never-ending fight]. The Key. July 7, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

[[File:Songwriter Dave Hause teams with Amythyst Kiah and Kam Franklin for the new protest song Your Ghost.jpg|thumb||left|Songwriter Dave Hause teams with Amythyst Kiah and Kam Franklin for the new protest song Your Ghost]]

=Key Lyrics=
Wouldn't it be convenient if he just rested in peace?

I saw his cousin crying wondering how to call the cops on the police

With a bootprint on your shoulder, face down on the street

Another precinct that's been rotted out

Another song of "I can't breathe"

"I can't breathe"

He said "I can't breathe"

Oh what a privilege to hide behind a screen

Like biteless barking dogs we yelp on an ever-tightening leash

Another public execution under a greedy would be king

Another desperate bloody anthem a crying family has to sing

"I can't breathe"

He said "I can't breathe"

I hope your ghost haunts all of our dreams

I hope you float like smoke over the blood machine

I hope you soak into the wick like kerosene

I hope it burns clean

How long will there be this song of "I can't breathe"? <ref>[https://genius.com/Dave-hause-your-ghost-lyrics Your Ghost Dave Hause]. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Dave Hause along with his brother and collaborator knew that the song needed to get just right in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Two white guys writing about injustice and police brutality, they sent their song to every black person to get their feedback, from fellow artists to a professor of anthropology at Temple University.

''“I felt like if we didn’t do that, it would just be gross,”'' Hause says. ''“I learned a ton from the experience.”''

All three, Hause, Kiah, and Franklin are repeating a chorus of “I can’t breathe.” ''“Oh what a privilege to pretend that we can’t see,”'' Hause sings, ''hoping that the ghosts of those killed by police “haunt all of our dreams.”''
''“This song really gets to the heart and soul of the devastation that police brutality causes, and Dave did a remarkable job at capturing that,”'' Kiah says. ''“Violence by police toward unarmed people, and in many cases unarmed people of color, who should be treated as innocent until proven guilty, breaks trust between the community and the people in uniform that are meant to serve and protect.”''
''“Music is my strongest form of protest right now,”'' Franklin says. ''“The only way that the stories and atrocities against people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, or Tamir Rice won’t be forgotten is by telling them over and over again.”'' <ref>Hudak, Joseph. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dave-hause-your-ghost-amythyst-kiah-1025659/ Song You Need to Know: Dave Hause, ‘Your Ghost’]. Rolling Stone. July 8, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

When The Revolution Comes by The Last Poets (1970)

2021-02-25T05:48:57Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:The Last Poets.png|thumb|The Last Poets]]
'''When The Revolution Comes''' is a song from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Poets The Last Poets'] album The Last Poets and as its 11th track from the album. The song was released in June 1970 through Douglas Records, the album reached number 29 on the Billboard 200 albums charts and peaked at 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Poets_(album)</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
''When the revolution comes''

''Transit cops will be crushed by the trains after losing their guns''

''and blood will run through the streets of Harlem''

''drowning anything without substance''

''When the revolution comes'' <ref>https://www.insidehook.com/article/music/25-songs-about-racism-that-are-still-sadly-relevant-today</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
'''''When the revolution comes'''''

'''''Jesus Christ is gonna be standing on the corner of Lennox Ave and 125th St trying to catch the first gypsy cab out of Harlem, when the revolution comes'''''

As in the song’s lyrics, this means that even a white supremacy ideology including religion had been given to black people with a white Jesus Christ. When the African-American people have a revolution, they will adopt a Pan-Africanism ideology.

The white Jesus Christ from the supremacy ideology, the enemy gave black people will be destroyed. This means, white Jesus Christ that helped black people feel inferior and will be on the corner of Lennox Ave & 125 St in Harlem looking for a gypsy cab to escape the wrath of the revolution. <ref>https://genius.com/The-last-poets-when-the-revolution-comes-lyrics#about</ref>

In one interview, Umar, one of the personnel from The Last Poets said that the song was about loving one another and standing up against police brutality, ''“We talked about loving one another and standing up against police brutality; we were trying to uplift the black community,”'' says Umar. ''“People would come and see us perform in Harlem, in Brooklyn; everybody loved The Last Poets because we were poets of the people. We had that connection with the community that a lot of groups simply didn’t have.”'' <ref>https://dulwichdiverter.tumblr.com/post/174015223142</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

When The Revolution Comes by The Last Poets (1970)

2021-02-25T05:48:42Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:The Last Poets.png|thumb|The Last Poets]]
'''When The Revolution Comes''' is a song from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Poets The Last Poets'] album The Last Poets and as its 11th track from the album. The song was released in June 1970 through Douglas Records, the album reached number 29 on the Billboard 200 albums charts and peaked at 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Poets_(album)</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
''When the revolution comes''

''Transit cops will be crushed by the trains after losing their guns''

''and blood will run through the streets of Harlem''

''drowning anything without substance''

''When the revolution comes'' <ref>https://www.insidehook.com/article/music/25-songs-about-racism-that-are-still-sadly-relevant-today</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
''When the revolution comes''

''Jesus Christ is gonna be standing on the corner of Lennox Ave and 125th St trying to catch the first gypsy cab out of Harlem, when the revolution comes''

As in the song’s lyrics, this means that even a white supremacy ideology including religion had been given to black people with a white Jesus Christ. When the African-American people have a revolution, they will adopt a Pan-Africanism ideology.

The white Jesus Christ from the supremacy ideology, the enemy gave black people will be destroyed. This means, white Jesus Christ that helped black people feel inferior and will be on the corner of Lennox Ave & 125 St in Harlem looking for a gypsy cab to escape the wrath of the revolution. <ref>https://genius.com/The-last-poets-when-the-revolution-comes-lyrics#about</ref>

In one interview, Umar, one of the personnel from The Last Poets said that the song was about loving one another and standing up against police brutality, ''“We talked about loving one another and standing up against police brutality; we were trying to uplift the black community,”'' says Umar. ''“People would come and see us perform in Harlem, in Brooklyn; everybody loved The Last Poets because we were poets of the people. We had that connection with the community that a lot of groups simply didn’t have.”'' <ref>https://dulwichdiverter.tumblr.com/post/174015223142</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

We Shall Overcome by Joan Baez (1963)

2021-02-25T05:39:42Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:We Shall Overcome Cover.jpg|thumb|We Shall Overcome Cover]]
'''We Shall Overcome''' is a descent song from “I’ll Overcome Some Day” that was first published in 1901, a hymn by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Albert_Tindley Charles Alber Tindley]. A gospel song turned out to be a protest song and became associated with the civil rights movement from 1959 when the song was sung by famous folk singers in the early 1960s such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Baez Joan Baez]. Since then, the song has been used in protests worldwide. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Shall_Overcome</ref>

[[File:Joan Baez 11.jpg|thumb||left|Joan Baez]]

=Key Lyrics=
We shall overcome

We shall overcome

We shall overcome some day

Oh, deep in my heart

I do believe

We shall overcome some day

We'll walk hand in hand

We'll walk hand in hand

We'll walk hand in hand some day

Oh, deep in my heart

I do… <ref>https://www.lyricinterpretations.com/joan-baez/we-shall-overcome</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
We Shall Overcome became popular in the 1960s during the Civil Rights movement in America. In 1947, Pete Seeger met Horton and taught him "We Will Overcome" and he adapted the song for his show. Seeger changed the word “Will” into “Shall” and added his own verses to the song.

The adaptation of the lyrics often attributed to Pete Seeger, he also shares the copyright with Horton, Carawan, and Frank Hamilton. The contribution of the song is obvious especially to both the labor and civil rights movements, and it continues being used around the world until this day, in every protest in the name of freedom and justice.
Later in 1963, the song was recorded by Joan Baez and became a major anthem for the Civil Rights movement. <ref>https://www.liveabout.com/we-shall-overcome-1322523</ref>

In 1968, Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr., recited the words of the song in his final sermon, on Sunday March 31, delivered in Memphis, Tennessee:

''“We shall overcome. We shall overcome. Deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome. And I believe it because somehow the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. We shall overcome because [Thomas] Carlyle is right; ‘No lie can live forever’. We shall overcome because William Cullen Bryant is right, ‘Truth crushed to earth will rise again. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to speed up the day.”'' <ref>https://christiansforsocialaction.org/resource/we-shall-overcome-the-story-behind-the-civil-rights-song/</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

We Live Here by Bob Vylan (2020)

2021-02-25T05:31:11Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:We Live Here Cover.jpg|thumb|We Live Here Cover]]

The Black Lives Matter movement reached its new heights following the killing of George Floyd on May 25th. Floyd was an African-American man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. This incident caused mass protests around the world including in the UK.

Though their new EP was too extreme to release as the theme about spanning from police brutality to fear-mongering in the media, upon its released the frontman Bobby Vylan said, “this project is scarily relevant to the climate we are living in right now and we didn’t want to wait another day!”

'''We Live Here''' is as a reflection of the current situations about frustration and pain. The release ends with Moment of Silence which plays out dead air. <ref>[https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/bob-vylan-we-live-here-review-radar-2683744 Bob Vylan – ‘We Live Here’ review: anarchic London punks that the music industry deemed “too extreme”]. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

[[File:Bob Vylan.jpg|thumb||left|Bob Vylan]]
=Key Lyrics=
Free school dinners for the poor

Pizza with a side of misery

Teachers said when I leave

No one here will miss me

Didn't know I was a sinner

But if they say so, well I must be

Big lips, wide nose

God knows no one will trust me

Mum don't look like me

But thank God she still loved me

Neighbours called me nigga

Told me "go back to my own country"

Said since we arrived

This place has got so ugly

But this is my fucking country

And it's never been fucking lovely <ref>[https://genius.com/Bob-vylan-we-live-here-lyrics We Live Here Bob Vylan]. Genius. Retrived January 18, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song was originally inspired by Bobby Vylan's young daughter who randomly announced ''‘We live here!’'' when playing in the family’s front room.

''“She often says very beautiful things with very little reason behind it,”'' he explains with a laugh. ''“But I knew it was going to be the title for something. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that she’ll have the same experience that I did. One day someone will call her ‘n—r,’ and I can’t shield her from that.”''

The song specifically addresses racism, while the album’s whole theme talking about the UK indictment and its ridiculous monarchy, by tracks like “England’s Ending,” “Lynch Your Leaders” and the serpentine “Intro,” on which Vylan intones, “The price of life is on the rise/ And this country is making a killing.

''“This is the England I know,”'' he explains. ''“I was born here, but when someone calls you ‘n—r’ at a very young age, you realize you’re never gonna be English in that sense. I’m in this country, but not of it. You have to come to grips with that. But the other side of that is, ‘No—fuck that. This is my country.’ There’s no ‘Go back to where you come from.’ This is where I come from. I am England. This is what England looks like now.”'' <ref>Bennett, J. [https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/bob-vylan-we-live-here-interview On “We Live Here,” UK Grime-Punk Bob Vylan Gives Racism the Finger]. Daily Band Camp. June 25, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

We Live Here is an album released by London-based duo, Bob Vylan, that is the collection of songs that talk about racism, police brutality and socioeconomic divide, ripping the UK apart. The song with the same name of the album, is lyrically straight point "Remember Stephen Lawrence / he too was free to roam / eighteen years-old at the bus stop / murdered on his way home.” <ref>[https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/bob-vylan/we-live-here We Live Here Bob Vylan]. Rough Trade. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute by Ashley M. Jones

2021-02-25T05:24:46Z

Fasya: /* Author */

'''Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute''' is a poem reflected from Jones’ experience observing a KKK uniform at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. The way she delivered the poem delivering concrete and vivid detail of being so close to a uniform that symbolized and represented racism. She imagined the uniform taking one’s life of the energy who wore it, and the fear of the speaker becomes the fear of readers as they keep haunted by the uniform. In this poem, Jones depicts the traumatic history of racism in the past and how this affects Black people today.<ref>https://www.readpoetry.com/anti-racist-poetry/</ref>

=Poetry=
'''Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute'''

''Ashley Jones''

All you can really tell at first

is that it was starched.

Some Betty Sue, Marge, Jane,

some proper girl

with a great black iron

made those corners sharp.

The hood, white and ablaze

with creases,

body flat and open

for husband, brother, son.

Behind the glass,

it seems frozen, waiting

for summer night

to melt it into action,

for the clean white flame

of God to awaken its limbs.

In front of it, you are dwarfed—

you imagine a pair of pupils

behind the empty holes

of the mask.

Behind the stiff cotton,

would the eyes squint

to see through small white slits,

or would they open wide

as a burning house

to hunt you down

until you pooled

like old rope

before them? <ref>https://poets.org/viewing-kkk-uniform-civil-rights-institute</ref>

=Author=
Ashley M. Jones received an MFA from Florida International University, also known as the the author of ''Magic City Gospel (Hub City Press 201''7), ''dark / / thing (Pleiades Press 2019)'', and ''REPARATIONS NOW! (Hub City Press 2021''). Jones has received several awards for her poetry according to [https://ashleymjonespoetry.com/ ashleymjonespoetry.com], including the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, a Literature Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award. And became a finalist, in 2020, for the Ruth Lily Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship. Not to miss, her poems and essays appear at CNN, POETRY, The Oxford American, Origins Journal, The Quarry by Split This Rock, Obsidian, and more. <ref>https://ashleymjonespoetry.com/</ref>

From the interview with Jan Becker, Girls’ Club Writer in Residence, she talked about the Magic Cities of Birmingham, Alabama and Miami, Florida, the good spell of poetry, how words magically impact young people and the world, as well as the importance of history. <ref>https://girlsclubcollection.org/writer-to-writer-ashley-m-jones/2016/</ref>

=Racism Issue=
''All you can really tell at first''

''is that it was starched.''

''Some Betty Sue, Marge, Jane,''

''some proper girl''

''with a great black iron''

''made those corners sharp.''

In the first 6 lines of the poem showed that Jones wanted reader to reckon on the terror began and begins in domestic settings, among familiar faces.<ref>https://www.thebind.net/blog/bad-drawings-jones</ref>

The way she insisted telling of how the KKK uniform impact as a symbol of racism and injustice, rather it is only fabric and stitches and starch, not a symbol. <ref>https://realpants.com/thoughts-independent-publishing/</ref>

In a live interview with [https://www.npr.org/transcripts/640606875 npr.org], Jones explained about the poem, Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute, to tell history of humans in different ways is part of her job as a poet. The history is a part of someone's identity. One of the incident is black chruch bombing in Alabama by KKK is one of the things that need to be remembered in order for it to not happen in th future.

''"So I don't feel that my work with history is separate at all from my work as a poet or really just as a human being. I think that we all carry histories with us. There are so many histories that have made me possible. So I can't be from Alabama and not know and tell that story of George Wallace. I can't be a black woman and not tell the story of Sally Hemings. It's always with me all the time, and it makes me who I am. And as a poet, that's my job, to tell the story of humans. And so I have to, of course, have history in there all the time,"'' she added, ''"I've heard that before, and that doesn't make sense to me because we have to remember what happened and what is happening in order for it not to happen anymore. And I'm a teacher, too, so of course I want us to learn and relearn and relearn forever. We can't leave history as history. It's part of the present as well."''<ref>https://www.npr.org/transcripts/640606875</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute by Ashley M. Jones

2021-02-25T05:23:55Z

Fasya: /* Author */

'''Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute''' is a poem reflected from Jones’ experience observing a KKK uniform at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. The way she delivered the poem delivering concrete and vivid detail of being so close to a uniform that symbolized and represented racism. She imagined the uniform taking one’s life of the energy who wore it, and the fear of the speaker becomes the fear of readers as they keep haunted by the uniform. In this poem, Jones depicts the traumatic history of racism in the past and how this affects Black people today.<ref>https://www.readpoetry.com/anti-racist-poetry/</ref>

=Poetry=
'''Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute'''

''Ashley Jones''

All you can really tell at first

is that it was starched.

Some Betty Sue, Marge, Jane,

some proper girl

with a great black iron

made those corners sharp.

The hood, white and ablaze

with creases,

body flat and open

for husband, brother, son.

Behind the glass,

it seems frozen, waiting

for summer night

to melt it into action,

for the clean white flame

of God to awaken its limbs.

In front of it, you are dwarfed—

you imagine a pair of pupils

behind the empty holes

of the mask.

Behind the stiff cotton,

would the eyes squint

to see through small white slits,

or would they open wide

as a burning house

to hunt you down

until you pooled

like old rope

before them? <ref>https://poets.org/viewing-kkk-uniform-civil-rights-institute</ref>

=Author=
Ashley M. Jones received an MFA from Florida International University, also known as the the author of ''Magic City Gospel (Hub City Press 201''7), ''dark / / thing (Pleiades Press 2019)'', and ''REPARATIONS NOW! (Hub City Press 2021''). Jones has received several awards for her poetry, including the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, a Literature Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award. And became a finalist, in 2020, for the Ruth Lily Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship. Not to miss, her poems and essays appear at CNN, POETRY, The Oxford American, Origins Journal, The Quarry by Split This Rock, Obsidian, and more. <ref>https://ashleymjonespoetry.com/</ref>

From the interview with Jan Becker, Girls’ Club Writer in Residence, she talked about the Magic Cities of Birmingham, Alabama and Miami, Florida, the good spell of poetry, how words magically impact young people and the world, as well as the importance of history. <ref>https://girlsclubcollection.org/writer-to-writer-ashley-m-jones/2016/</ref>

=Racism Issue=
''All you can really tell at first''

''is that it was starched.''

''Some Betty Sue, Marge, Jane,''

''some proper girl''

''with a great black iron''

''made those corners sharp.''

In the first 6 lines of the poem showed that Jones wanted reader to reckon on the terror began and begins in domestic settings, among familiar faces.<ref>https://www.thebind.net/blog/bad-drawings-jones</ref>

The way she insisted telling of how the KKK uniform impact as a symbol of racism and injustice, rather it is only fabric and stitches and starch, not a symbol. <ref>https://realpants.com/thoughts-independent-publishing/</ref>

In a live interview with [https://www.npr.org/transcripts/640606875 npr.org], Jones explained about the poem, Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute, to tell history of humans in different ways is part of her job as a poet. The history is a part of someone's identity. One of the incident is black chruch bombing in Alabama by KKK is one of the things that need to be remembered in order for it to not happen in th future.

''"So I don't feel that my work with history is separate at all from my work as a poet or really just as a human being. I think that we all carry histories with us. There are so many histories that have made me possible. So I can't be from Alabama and not know and tell that story of George Wallace. I can't be a black woman and not tell the story of Sally Hemings. It's always with me all the time, and it makes me who I am. And as a poet, that's my job, to tell the story of humans. And so I have to, of course, have history in there all the time,"'' she added, ''"I've heard that before, and that doesn't make sense to me because we have to remember what happened and what is happening in order for it not to happen anymore. And I'm a teacher, too, so of course I want us to learn and relearn and relearn forever. We can't leave history as history. It's part of the present as well."''<ref>https://www.npr.org/transcripts/640606875</ref>

=References=
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{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute by Ashley M. Jones

2021-02-25T05:22:06Z

Fasya: /* Racism Issue */

'''Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute''' is a poem reflected from Jones’ experience observing a KKK uniform at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. The way she delivered the poem delivering concrete and vivid detail of being so close to a uniform that symbolized and represented racism. She imagined the uniform taking one’s life of the energy who wore it, and the fear of the speaker becomes the fear of readers as they keep haunted by the uniform. In this poem, Jones depicts the traumatic history of racism in the past and how this affects Black people today.<ref>https://www.readpoetry.com/anti-racist-poetry/</ref>

=Poetry=
'''Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute'''

''Ashley Jones''

All you can really tell at first

is that it was starched.

Some Betty Sue, Marge, Jane,

some proper girl

with a great black iron

made those corners sharp.

The hood, white and ablaze

with creases,

body flat and open

for husband, brother, son.

Behind the glass,

it seems frozen, waiting

for summer night

to melt it into action,

for the clean white flame

of God to awaken its limbs.

In front of it, you are dwarfed—

you imagine a pair of pupils

behind the empty holes

of the mask.

Behind the stiff cotton,

would the eyes squint

to see through small white slits,

or would they open wide

as a burning house

to hunt you down

until you pooled

like old rope

before them? <ref>https://poets.org/viewing-kkk-uniform-civil-rights-institute</ref>

=Author=
Ashley M. Jones received an MFA from Florida International University. She is the author of ''Magic City Gospel (Hub City Press 201''7), ''dark / / thing (Pleiades Press 2019)'', and ''REPARATIONS NOW! (Hub City Press 2021''). Jones has received several awards for her poetry, including the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award, the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards, the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Prize for Poetry, a Literature Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award. And became a finalist, in 2020, for the Ruth Lily Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship. Not to miss, her poems and essays appear at CNN, POETRY, The Oxford American, Origins Journal, The Quarry by Split This Rock, Obsidian, and more. <ref>https://ashleymjonespoetry.com/</ref>

From the interview with Jan Becker, Girls’ Club Writer in Residence, she talked about the Magic Cities of Birmingham, Alabama and Miami, Florida, the good spell of poetry, how words magically impact young people and the world, as well as the importance of history. <ref>https://girlsclubcollection.org/writer-to-writer-ashley-m-jones/2016/</ref>

=Racism Issue=
''All you can really tell at first''

''is that it was starched.''

''Some Betty Sue, Marge, Jane,''

''some proper girl''

''with a great black iron''

''made those corners sharp.''

In the first 6 lines of the poem showed that Jones wanted reader to reckon on the terror began and begins in domestic settings, among familiar faces.<ref>https://www.thebind.net/blog/bad-drawings-jones</ref>

The way she insisted telling of how the KKK uniform impact as a symbol of racism and injustice, rather it is only fabric and stitches and starch, not a symbol. <ref>https://realpants.com/thoughts-independent-publishing/</ref>

In a live interview with [https://www.npr.org/transcripts/640606875 npr.org], Jones explained about the poem, Viewing a KKK Uniform at the Civil Rights Institute, to tell history of humans in different ways is part of her job as a poet. The history is a part of someone's identity. One of the incident is black chruch bombing in Alabama by KKK is one of the things that need to be remembered in order for it to not happen in th future.

''"So I don't feel that my work with history is separate at all from my work as a poet or really just as a human being. I think that we all carry histories with us. There are so many histories that have made me possible. So I can't be from Alabama and not know and tell that story of George Wallace. I can't be a black woman and not tell the story of Sally Hemings. It's always with me all the time, and it makes me who I am. And as a poet, that's my job, to tell the story of humans. And so I have to, of course, have history in there all the time,"'' she added, ''"I've heard that before, and that doesn't make sense to me because we have to remember what happened and what is happening in order for it not to happen anymore. And I'm a teacher, too, so of course I want us to learn and relearn and relearn forever. We can't leave history as history. It's part of the present as well."''<ref>https://www.npr.org/transcripts/640606875</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron (1971)

2021-02-25T05:05:47Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.jpg|thumb|The Revolution Will Not Be Televised]]
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a song and poem with the same name by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Scott-Heron Gil Scott-Heron] and released in 1971. The song’s title was originally popular in the 1690s among the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Power Black Power] movements and used as a slogan in the United States. Scott-Heron’s song is as a response to the spoken-word piece "When the Revolution Comes" by The Last Poets. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised</ref>

[[File:Gil Scott-Heron.jpg|thumb||left|Gil Scott-Heron]]

=Key Lyrics=
''Green Acres,’ ‘Beverly Hillbillies,’ and ‘Hooterville Junction’''

''Will no longer be so damn relevant''

''And women will not care if Dick finally got down with Jane''

''On ‘Search for Tomorrow’''

''Because black people will be in the street looking for a brighter day''

''The revolution will not be televised'' <ref>https://www.history.com/news/black-music-slavery-protest</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
In a 1990s interview, Scott-Heron explains about the meaning of the song, as referred, the revolution cannot be seen on TV simply because it cannot be seen it at all :

''"The first change that takes place is in your mind. You have to change your mind before you change the way you live and the way you move. The thing that’s going to change people is something that nobody will ever be able to capture on film. It’s just something that you see and you’ll think, “Oh I’m on the wrong page,” or “I’m on I’m on the right page but the wrong note. And I’ve got to get in sync with everyone else to find out what’s happening in this country.”''

''“I think that the Black Americans are the only real die-hard Americans here,”'' Scott-Heron goes on, ''“because we’re the only ones who’ve carried the process through the process…. We’re the ones who marched… we’re the ones who tried to go through the courts. Being born American didn’t seem to matter.”'' <ref>https://www.openculture.com/2020/06/gil-scott-heron-spells-out-why-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised.html</ref>

The song title goes after a Black Power slogan in the 1960s, the main subject of the song is the lack of media coverage of African-American communities. ''“A good poet feels what his community feels,” Scott-Heron explained. “He feels what the organism that he’s a part of feels. And one of the problems that our community was facing as a whole was the fact that we were being discriminated against and there was something that needed to be done.”'' <ref>https://www.jazziz.com/song-of-the-day-gil-scott-heron-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised/</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

The Story of O.J. by Jay-Z (2017)

2021-02-25T05:00:32Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:The Story of O.J. Cover.jpg|thumb|The Story of O.J. Cover]]
'''The Story of O.J.''' is a song released on June 30, 2017 by American hip hop artist [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-Z Jay-Z], from his 13th studio album 4:44. The hip hop song was produced by the singer himself and No I.D.. Following the release of the album, the song reached number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as peaked at number 88 on the UK Singles Chart. The song, which also features samples from Four Women by Nina Simone’s song, received three nominations at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_O.J.</ref>

[[File:Jay-Z.jpg|thumb||left|Jay-Z]]

=Key Lyrics=
''Skin is, skin, is''

''Skin black, my skin is black''

''My, black, my skin is yellowLight nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga''

''Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga''

''Still nigga, still nigga''

''I like that second one''

''Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga''

''Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga''

''Still nigga, still nigga'' <ref>https://www.metrolyrics.com/the-story-of-oj-lyrics-jay-z.html</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The Story of O.J. depicts stereotypes associated of African-Americans as the video touches African-American culture, shows various roles within the black community, and how black people are affected by money. The line rumored which has been uttered by Simon in one interview, ''"I'm not black, I'm O.J.,"'' refers to the idea that fame and wealth can surpass race. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_O.J.</ref>

The song title refers to the former NFL running back, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson O.J. Simpson] who was accused and acquitted of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. This song also features Nina Simone’s Four Women song, the story about four black women with different skin colors and the difficulties they faced. The metaphor from Simone’s four women in the chorus tells that no matter how wealthy or poor one person is, light skinned or dark one, people of color are more relevant markers in a racist society. <ref>https://genius.com/Jay-z-the-story-of-oj-lyrics#about</ref>

In other words, the song's theme points how one's skin color can be viewed in society. Regardless their financial status or class, or even levels of fame.

''“There was no doubt that ‘The Story of O.J.’ was going to be one of the [songs] most spoken about,”'' Kutch adds. ''“Just like he did in Reasonable Doubt 21 years [earlier], JAY tells the story about the world around him. The story has changed, but it is still told in an incredibly honest, poignant, and poetic fashion that only he can do.”''
<ref>https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/songs-that-defined-the-decade/8543924/jay-z-story-of-oj-songs-that-defined-the-decade</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Sweeter by Leon Bridges featuring Terrace Martin (2020)

2021-02-25T04:43:36Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Sweeter Cover.jpg|thumb|Sweeter Cover]]

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Bridges Todd Michael Bridges], known as Leon Bridges is an American soul singer-songwriter born on July 13, 1989. His best song, ''Coming Home'', received regular airplay and top 10 Most Viral Track on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotify Spotify]. Bridges and Terrace Martin, on june 8, 2020 released a single titled '''Sweeter''' as their response upon the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 and performed the song at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Bridges Leon Bridges]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

[[File:Leon Bridges.jpg|thumb||left|Leon Bridges]]
=Key Lyrics=
Hoping for a life more sweeter

Instead I’m just a story repeating

Why do I fear with skin dark as night?

Can’t feel peace with those judging eyes

I thought we moved on from the darker days

Did the words of the King disappear in the air

Like a butterfly?

Somebody should hand you a felony

Because you stole from me

My chance to be <ref>[https://genius.com/Leon-bridges-sweeter-lyrics Sweeter Leon Bridges]. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Upon the death of George Floyd, many artists voiced their outrage into the song, including the singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and Terrace Martin who released a new song titled Sweeter. Upon the song released, Bridges said statement:

''“The death of George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was the first time I wept for a man I never met. I am George Floyd, my brothers are George Floyd, and my sisters are George Floyd. I cannot and will not be silent any longer.”'' <ref>Olivet, Dean. [https://flypaper.soundfly.com/write/why-leon-bridges-powerful-new-song-sweeter-works-on-every-single-level/ Why Leon Bridges’ Powerful New Song “Sweeter” Works on Every… Single… Level]. July 9, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

The song released amidst the protest of George Floyd in 2020, the singer reflects his deepest condolences and mourns upon racism against Black people and the effect on him as a Black man. In a statement released by [https://pitchfork.com/news/leon-bridges-and-terrace-martin-share-new-song-sweeter-listen/ Pitchfork] both Bridges and Martin say:

'''Leon Bridges:'''

''Growing up in Texas I have personally experienced racism, my friends have experienced racism. From adolescence we are taught how to conduct ourselves when we encounter police to avoid the consequences of being racially profiled. I have been numb for too long, calloused when it came to the issues of police brutality. The death of George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was the first time I wept for a man I never met. I am George Floyd, my brothers are George Floyd, and my sisters are George Floyd. I cannot and will not be silent any longer. Just as Abel’s blood was crying out to God, George Floyd is crying out to me. So, I present to you Sweeter.''

'''Terrace Martin:'''

''It is always an honor to share a platform with my dear brother Leon Bridges. This is meditation music; it is not music for the ears but rather music for the heart. I truly believe that eyes have been deceiving us for so long but the heart always tells the truth. The heart needs to be repaired. Black folk have been deceived so many years, the only thing that can turn it around is a heart full of love.'' <ref>[https://genius.com/Leon-bridges-sweeter-lyrics Sweeter Leon Bridges]. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref> <ref>Sodomsky, Sam. [https://pitchfork.com/news/leon-bridges-and-terrace-martin-share-new-song-sweeter-listen/ Leon Bridges and Terrace Martin Share New Song “Sweeter”: Listen]. Pitchfork. June 8, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Supremacy by Fever 333 (2020)

2021-02-25T04:41:55Z

Fasya:

[[File:Supremacy Cover.png|thumb|Supremacy Cover]]

Fever 333 or also well known as the Fever 333 is an American rock band formed in July 2017. Following the killing of George Floyd, the band, on May 25, 2020 released Long Live the Innocent on June 3rd, is a live political demonstration and musical performance. Donations also opened to the Minnesota Freedom Fund and Black Lives Matter. During the performances, the band debuted their unreleased song titled '''"Supremacy"''', which later officially released on June 8th. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever_333 Fever 333]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

The song is the first single from ''WRONG GENERATION EP''. Initially the song was released on June 1st as a free download on the band’s site, yet it was taken down and given official release on June 8th. <ref>[https://genius.com/Fever-333-supremacy-lyrics SUPREMACY FEVER 333]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

[[File:FEVER 333.jpg|thumb||left|FEVER 333]]
=Key Lyrics=
See I was raised in the west

Where we stay stressed

Where they lie if they have to to make an arrest

'Cause we living in the shadow of the suburbs

While the price of this house going upwards

I don't understand how

The poor get robbed by the rich and they calling it a handout (Aw, hell nah)

And it's evident

The neighborhood fucked up

Got us sending letters to the president

Tell me, can you hear us

Through the sound of the sirens?

And you wonder why the streets getting violent

Another mother shed tears at the cemetery

Burying her first born child (Damn)

I've been watching through the years

Got my nerves firing, waking up screaming

And we live in a cold sweat

Segregated, they consider us a known threat

So we hopeless, ayy <ref>[https://genius.com/Fever-333-supremacy-lyrics SUPREMACY FEVER 333]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Protests have wide spreaded across the globe, including the US and UK. A large number of artists also expressed their outrage over the racial injustice.

Fever 333 took Twitter for the introduction melody is an ''“interpolation of [KRS-One’s] ‘Step Into A World’ which was an interpolation of [Blondie‘s] ‘Rapture’.”'' <ref>Skinner, Tom. [https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-to-fever-333s-new-blondie-sampling-song-supremacy-2684549 Listen to FEVER 333’s new Blondie-sampling song ‘SUPREMACY’]. NME. June 9, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

The band performed on Black Lives Matter live-stream, their vocalist, Jason Aalon Butler said the purpose of the “Long Live the Innocent” event is to ''“"encourage people to go beyond awareness and take action. With localized efforts in the name of justice for a specifically targeted group of people in this country, this will serve as an artistic activation as well as a platform to activate necessary measures for social and racial reformation."''

He continued, ''"Music and art have [catalyzed] socially inclined movements for as long as we can remember, but for some reason, at a time where we are now granted the ability to see how deeply flawed our system is, we have slowed the charge for change. Fever 333 has dedicated its entire platform to that change from its inception with its music, activism, even [a] charity fund that sees a percentage of proceeds funneled from all profits the project receives."'' <ref>Trapp, Philip. [https://loudwire.com/fever-333-supremacy/ Fever 333’s Activism Gets Supremely Catchy on New Song ‘Supremacy’]. Loud Wire. June 9, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

2021-02-25T04:34:11Z

Fasya: /* Author */

Still I Rise was published as Angelou’s third poetry collection ''And Still I Rise'' in 1978 about the assertion of the dignity and resilience of marginalized communities during oppression. The American civil rights activist and writer often wrote about blackness and blackwomanood thus makes this poem as a critique of anti-black racism. <ref>https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/maya-angelou/still-i-rise</ref>

The lyrical poem reflects her spirit, strength, and determination to fight and defeat racism, hate speech, and oppression. The poem’s ending refers the struggle and pain of becoming African-American as a victim of slavery. <ref>https://www.readpoetry.com/anti-racist-poetry/</ref>

=Poetry=
'''Still I Rise'''

''Maya Angelou''

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise. <ref>https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise</ref>

=Author=
Born as Marguerite Annie Johnson or known by famous name Maya Angelou (/ˈændʒəloʊ/) on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. As an African-American, Angelou has experienced her first racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas. Her parents split when she was very young and lived with her father’s mother along with her older brother, Bailey. Angelou also suffered at the hands of a family associate when she was 7, raped by her mother’s boyfriend, during a visit with her mother left a deep trauma for her. As the result, she stopped talking and spent years as a virtual mute. <ref>https://www.biography.com/writer/maya-angelou</ref> <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou</ref>

Angelou was an American poet, memorist, and civil rights activist. Dozens of awards had been received along with more than 50 honorary degrees. Her best known series of seven autobiographies, focusing on her childhood and early adult experiences, one of them is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells about her life until the age of 17, which bringing her international recognition and acclaim. Her career as a poet and writer began after a string of odd jobs during her young adulthood. She was active as in the Civil Rights Movements and worked with Martin Luther King Jr., as well as Malcolm X. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou</ref>

=Racism Issue=
This poem reflects the speaker’s determination, expressing her thoughts towards her action facing the haters. Determining to be strong with her self-esteem, showing how people judge and perceive her in which the problem she faced and the torture she suffered. Though everyone against her, she display positive attitude towards criticism and resolves that no one ever be allowed to let her down and she will continue to rise.

Still I Rise depicts pride, courge, and injustice. Pointing how dark skin colored people being criticized in society, and how people wanted to kill them with hatefulness. Nonetheless, the poem shows how proud the speaker is with her identity, she also challenges those who want to let her down. Instead of living in stress and fear, the speaker chooses to live in a happy and confident life. <ref>https://literarydevices.net/still-i-rise/#:~:text=Popularity%20of%20%E2%80%9CStill%20I%20Rise,against%20racial%20and%20gender%20discrimination.</ref>

The poem wants to deliver the poet’s intention of praising her ability, strength, and body to rise up and away from her personal historical past. There is nothing that can hold her back, even her past as she is going to rise above beyond anything. The major theme of the poem is self-empowerment, injustice, and perseverance. The word “you” refers to the varieties of injustice that people of color, women, and marginalized communities have been faced with.

In the line :
''“You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I’ll rise”''

Angelou seeks to empower herself, as well as for those who have doubted their strength, beauty, abilities, intelligence, or worth. <ref>https://poemanalysis.com/maya-angelou/still-i-rise/#:~:text=%27Still%20I%20Rise%27%20by%20Maya,her%20personal%20and%20historical%20past.</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

State of the Union (STFU) by Public Enemy (2020)

2021-02-25T04:27:01Z

Fasya:

[[File:State Of The Union (STFU) Cover.jpg|thumb|State Of The Union (STFU) Cover]]

Public Enemy commemorated Juneteenth (June 19) by releasing their anti-Trump song, accompanying with the video features footage from nationwide protests in response to the death of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks. <ref>Peters, Mitchell. [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9406256/public-enemy-returns-with-anti-trump-state-of-the-union-stfu-song-watch Public Enemy Returns With Anti-Trump ‘State of the Union (STFU)’ Song: Watch]. Billboard. June 20, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

'''State of the Union (STFU)''' targets Donald Trump, as the refrain goes like: '''''“State of the union/Shut the fuck up/Sorry ass motherfucker/Stay away from me.”''''' The video also performs footage with video of protests, as well as police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.

''“Our collective voices keep getting louder,”'' Chuck D said in a press release. ''“The rest of the planet is on our side. But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, cause it does.” Flavor Flav added, “Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for him to GO.”''

Two months after April Fools Day, the band dropped their new song. “There are more serious things in the world right now than April Fool’s jokes and dropping records,” Flav said. <ref>Minsker, Monroe. [https://pitchfork.com/news/public-enemy-share-new-song-state-of-the-union-stfu-listen/ Public Enemy Share New Song “State of the Union (STFU)”: Listen]. Pitchfork. June 19, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

[[File:Public Enemy group.jpg|thumb||left|Public Enemy]]
=Key Lyrics=

Whatever it takes, rid this dictator

POTUS my tail, ass debater

Prime-time Preemo, rhyme-time crime

Like no other in this lifetime (Hey!)

White house killer, dead in lifelines

Vote this joke out, or die tryin'

Unprecedented, demented, many president'd

Nazi gestapo dictator defended (Hey!)

It's not what you think it's what you follow

Run for them jewels, drink from that bottle

Another four years gonna gut y'all hollow

Gutted out, dried up, broke and can't borrow (Hey!) <ref>[https://genius.com/Public-enemy-state-of-the-union-stfu-lyrics State of the Union (STFU) Public Enemy]. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Public Enemy set the standard of their protest anthems, with their previous protest song boomed, Fight the Power, their new song Fight the Power goes the same and took aim as a cultural pillar. <ref>J. Moore, Marcus. [https://www.npr.org/sections/we-insist-a-timeline-of-protest-music-in-2020/2020/09/02/903261901/public-enemy-excoriates-president-trump-on-state-of-the-union-stfu Public Enemy Excoriates President Trump On 'State Of The Union (STFU)']. June 19, 2020. NPR. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

Produced by DJ Premier, State of the Union (STFU) was voicing about anti-Trump accompanied with the video footage of the mass protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, ''“a fiery return to the frontlines as they take on Donald Trump and his fascist regime,”'' according to a new press release.

Speaking about the track, Chuck D said: ''“Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of the planet is on our side.
“But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, ‘cause it does.”''

Flavor Flav added: ''“Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for him to GO.”'' <ref>Aubrey, Elizabeth. [https://www.nme.com/news/music/public-enemy-return-with-explosive-new-anti-trump-state-of-the-union-stfu-2691852 Public Enemy return with explosive new anti-Trump song, ‘State of the Union (STFU)’]. June 19, 2020. NME. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

State of the Union (STFU) by Public Enemy (2020)

2021-02-25T04:22:32Z

Fasya:

[[File:State Of The Union (STFU) Cover.jpg|thumb|State Of The Union (STFU) Cover]]

Public Enemy commemorated Juneteenth (June 19) by releasing their anti-Trump song, accompanying with the video features footage from nationwide protests in response to the death of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks. <ref>Peters, Mitchell. [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9406256/public-enemy-returns-with-anti-trump-state-of-the-union-stfu-song-watch Public Enemy Returns With Anti-Trump ‘State of the Union (STFU)’ Song: Watch]. Billboard. June 20, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

'''State of the Union (STFU)''' targets Donald Trump, the central refrain in the song goes like: '''''“State of the union/Shut the fuck up/Sorry ass motherfucker/Stay away from me.”''''' The video also performs footage with video of protests, as well as police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.

''“Our collective voices keep getting louder,”'' Chuck D said in a press release. ''“The rest of the planet is on our side. But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, cause it does.” Flavor Flav added, “Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for him to GO.”''

The band dropped their new song two months after April Fools Day song release. “There are more serious things in the world right now than April Fool’s jokes and dropping records,” Flav said. <ref>Minsker, Monroe. [https://pitchfork.com/news/public-enemy-share-new-song-state-of-the-union-stfu-listen/ Public Enemy Share New Song “State of the Union (STFU)”: Listen]. Pitchfork. June 19, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

[[File:Public Enemy group.jpg|thumb||left|Public Enemy]]
=Key Lyrics=

Whatever it takes, rid this dictator

POTUS my tail, ass debater

Prime-time Preemo, rhyme-time crime

Like no other in this lifetime (Hey!)

White house killer, dead in lifelines

Vote this joke out, or die tryin'

Unprecedented, demented, many president'd

Nazi gestapo dictator defended (Hey!)

It's not what you think it's what you follow

Run for them jewels, drink from that bottle

Another four years gonna gut y'all hollow

Gutted out, dried up, broke and can't borrow (Hey!) <ref>[https://genius.com/Public-enemy-state-of-the-union-stfu-lyrics State of the Union (STFU) Public Enemy]. Genius. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Public Enemy set the standard of their protest anthems, with their previous protest song boomed, Fight the Power, their new song Fight the Power goes the same and took aim as a cultural pillar. <ref>J. Moore, Marcus. [https://www.npr.org/sections/we-insist-a-timeline-of-protest-music-in-2020/2020/09/02/903261901/public-enemy-excoriates-president-trump-on-state-of-the-union-stfu Public Enemy Excoriates President Trump On 'State Of The Union (STFU)']. June 19, 2020. NPR. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

Produced by DJ Premier, State of the Union (STFU) was voicing about anti-Trump accompanied with the video footage of the mass protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, ''“a fiery return to the frontlines as they take on Donald Trump and his fascist regime,”'' according to a new press release.

Speaking about the track, Chuck D said: ''“Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of the planet is on our side.
“But it’s not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, ‘cause it does.”''

Flavor Flav added: ''“Public Enemy tells it like it is. It’s time for him to GO.”'' <ref>Aubrey, Elizabeth. [https://www.nme.com/news/music/public-enemy-return-with-explosive-new-anti-trump-state-of-the-union-stfu-2691852 Public Enemy return with explosive new anti-Trump song, ‘State of the Union (STFU)’]. June 19, 2020. NME. Retrieved January 18, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Someday We’ll All Be Free by Donny Hathaway (1973)

2021-02-25T04:12:30Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Donny Hathaway.jpg|thumb|Donny Hathaway]]
'''Someday We'll All Be Free''' is a soul song from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Hathaway Donny Hathaway] released in 1973. The song was from his album, titled Extension of a Man and has been covered by many artists over the years.

Written by Edward Howard, the lyrics were inspired from a mental pain that Hathway, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenic, at the time the song was written. Howard said :
"What was going through my mind at the time was Donny, because Donny was a very troubled person. I hoped that at some point he would be released from all that he was going through. There was nothing I could do but write something that might be encouraging for him."
The song is also featured in The Walking Dead’s seventh season finale, aired in April 2017. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Someday_We%27ll_All_Be_Free</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
''Hang on to the world as it spins around''

''Just don't let the spin get you down''

''Things are moving fast''

''Hold on tight and you will last''

''Keep your self respect, your manly pride''

''Get yourself in gear''

''Keep your stride''

''Never mind your fears''

''Brighter days will soon be here''
''
Take it from me, someday we'll all be free, yeah'' <ref>https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2760410/Donny+Hathaway/Someday+We%27ll+All+Be+Free</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Years later, the song started to be interpreted about black rights, primarily due to biographical film, Malcolm X by Spike Lee featuring Aretha Franklin in 1992. Howard said :

''"A lot of black people have taken the song for some sort of anthem. That's fine. I didn't write it for that, though. It doesn't have that significance for me. I take it with a grain of salt. I'm glad it has some significance."''

Donny Hathaway, as the original singer, personally loved the song, as Eulalah Hathaway stated:

''"He loved that song. Donny literally sat in the studio and cried when he heard the playback of his final mix. It's pretty special when an artist can create something that wipes them out."'' <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Someday_We%27ll_All_Be_Free</ref>

With its message of hope, the song often gets adopted as an anthem of de facto civil rights. <ref>https://genius.com/Donny-hathaway-someday-well-all-be-free-lyrics#about</ref>

Many people turned to music for comfort during the tragic days after September 11, 2001. The song helped people to comfort feelings, cope with griefs, fears, and angers, even gave hope for the future. <ref>http://blindedbysound.com/features/deepsoul/deepsoul-donny-hathaway---someday-well-all-be-free/</ref>

The song was an anthem, voicing a general aspiration, an assurance that someday it will be found. The melody is optimistic as the lyrics are hip. The power of this song will be echoed in everyone’s heart as for reminder that someday, what they have been longing for, what they are hoping for will come true. <ref>http://www.thenewblackmagazine.com/view.aspx?index=294</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Someday We’ll All Be Free by Donny Hathaway (1973)

2021-02-25T04:09:45Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Donny Hathaway.jpg|thumb|Donny Hathaway]]
'''Someday We'll All Be Free''' is a soul song from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Hathaway Donny Hathaway] released in 1973. The song was from his album, titled Extension of a Man and has been covered by many artists over the years.

Written by Edward Howard, the lyrics were inspired from a mental pain that Hathway, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenic, at the time the song was written. Howard said :
"What was going through my mind at the time was Donny, because Donny was a very troubled person. I hoped that at some point he would be released from all that he was going through. There was nothing I could do but write something that might be encouraging for him."
The song is also featured in The Walking Dead’s seventh season finale, aired in April 2017. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Someday_We%27ll_All_Be_Free</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
''Hang on to the world as it spins around''

''Just don't let the spin get you down''

''Things are moving fast''

''Hold on tight and you will last''

''Keep your self respect, your manly pride''

''Get yourself in gear''

''Keep your stride''

''Never mind your fears''

''Brighter days will soon be here''
''
Take it from me, someday we'll all be free, yeah'' <ref>https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2760410/Donny+Hathaway/Someday+We%27ll+All+Be+Free</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Years later, the song started to be interpreted about black rights, primarily due to biographical film, Malcolm X by Spike Lee featuring Aretha Franklin in 1992. Howard said :

''"A lot of black people have taken the song for some sort of anthem. That's fine. I didn't write it for that, though. It doesn't have that significance for me. I take it with a grain of salt. I'm glad it has some significance."''

The original singer, Donny Hathaway, personally loved the song and as Eulalah Hathaway stated:

''"He loved that song. Donny literally sat in the studio and cried when he heard the playback of his final mix. It's pretty special when an artist can create something that wipes them out."'' <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Someday_We%27ll_All_Be_Free</ref>

With its message of hope, the song often gets adopted as an anthem of de facto civil rights. <ref>https://genius.com/Donny-hathaway-someday-well-all-be-free-lyrics#about</ref>

Many people turned to music for comfort during the tragic days after September 11, 2001. The song helped people to comfort feelings, cope with griefs, fears, and angers, even gave hope for the future. <ref>http://blindedbysound.com/features/deepsoul/deepsoul-donny-hathaway---someday-well-all-be-free/</ref>

The song was an anthem, voicing a general aspiration, an assurance that someday it will be found. The melody is optimistic as the lyrics are hip. The power of this song will be echoed in everyone’s heart as for reminder that someday, what they have been longing for, what they are hoping for will come true. <ref>http://www.thenewblackmagazine.com/view.aspx?index=294</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Sisters in Arms by Audre Lorde (1986)

2021-02-25T04:08:56Z

Fasya: /* Author */

'''Sister in Arms''' refers to warrior sisters who work together, embracing the intimacy that can be offered to each other, as well as healing and supporting each other on revolutionary journeys. <ref>[https://summerofourlorde.wordpress.com/resurrection-sundays/ SCHOOL OF OUR LORDE]. Summer of Our Lorde. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

This poem depicts the struggle of black women in apartheid South Africa. Lorder was a key figure for a campaign called Sisterhood of Support of Sisters in South Africa, this group supported the activism of black South African women against the racists. <ref>[https://www.gradesaver.com/audre-lorde-poetry/study-guide/essay-questions Audre Lorde: Poetry Essay Questions]. Grade Saver. Retrieved January 16, 2021 </ref>

=Poetry=
The edge of our bed was a wide grid

where your fifteen-year-old daughter was hanging

gut-sprung on police wheels

a cablegram nailed to the wood

next to a map of the Western Reserve

I could not return with you to bury the body

reconstruct your nightly cardboards

against the seeping Transvaal cold

I could not plant the other limpet mine

against a wall at the railroad station

nor carry either of your souls back from the river

in a calabash upon my head

so I bought you a ticket to Durban

on my American Express

and we lay together

in the first light of a new season.

Now clearing roughage from my autumn garden

cow sorrel overgrown rocket gone to seed

I reach for the taste of today

the New York Times finally mentions your country

a half-page story

of the first white south african killed in the “unrest”

Not of Black children massacred at Sebokeng

six-year-olds imprisoned for threatening the state

not of Thabo Sibeko, first grader, in his own blood

on his grandmother’s parlor floor

Joyce, nine, trying to crawl to him

shitting through her navel

not of a three-week-old infant, nameless

lost under the burned beds of Tembisa

my hand comes down like a brown vise over the marigolds

reckless through despair

we were two Black women touching our flame

and we left our dead behind us

I hovered you rose the last ritual of healing

“It is spring,” you whispered

“I sold the ticket for guns and sulfa

I leave for home tomorrow”

and wherever I touch you

I lick cold from my fingers

taste rage

like salt from the lips of a woman

who has killed too often to forget

and carries each death in her eyes

your mouth a parting orchid

“Someday you will come to my country

and we will fight side by side?”

Keys jingle in the door ajar threatening

whatever is coming belongs here

I reach for your sweetness

but silence explodes like a pregnant belly

into my face

a vomit of nevers.

Mmanthatisi turns away from the cloth

her daughters-in-law are dyeing

the baby drools milk from her breast

she hands him half-asleep to his sister

dresses again for war

knowing the men will follow.

In the intricate Maseru twilights

quick sad vital

she maps the next day’s battle

dreams of Durban sometimes

visions the deep wry song of beach pebbles

running after the sea. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42588/sisters-in-arms Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=Author=
Audrey Geraldine Lorde, well known as Audre Lorde (/ˈɔːdri lɔːrd/) was an American writer, feminist, librarioan, womanist and civil rights activist. Describing herself as a “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” is best knwon for technical mastery and emotional expression. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audre_Lorde Audre Lorde]. Wikipedia. Retreived January 16, 2021</ref>

Born on February 18, 1934 in New York City of the youngest of three sisters, raised in Manhattan and attended Catholic school. Her first poem appeared when she was in high school in Seventeen magazine. <ref>[https://poets.org/poet/audre-lorde Audre Lorde]. Poets. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

Lorde attended Hunter College to receive her B.A. degree in 1959 and master’s degree in library science, in 1961. '''''The First Cities''''' which was published in 1968, was Lorde's first volume of poetry. <ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Audre-Lorde Audre Lorde American poet and author]. Britannica. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=Racism Issue=
The poem talks about protests of extreme racism occurring in South America. The first stanza describes how the little power the author holds wants to help fight racism in South Africa. In another way, the author seems to be telling her friend that she wants to help in a violent protest, but she cannot. '''''“plant the other limpet mine against a wall at the railroad station”'''''

In the next Stanza, the author speaks about the silence of the media in America, calling out the New York Times with words '''''“finally mention”''''' South Africa. However the media speak about the white South Africans dying, instead of the massacre and imprisonment of the black children. <ref>Richter, Max. [http://thisamericanlyric2015.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/2015/04/13/north-american-time-sisters-in-arms-question-1/ North American Time/ Sisters in Arms Question 1]. April 13, 2015. This is American Lyrics 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

The poem began where the tension is already established. '''''“The edge of our bed was a wide grid where your fifteen-year-old daughter was hanging gut-sprung on police wheels”''''' this gives depiction that the author was in a South African woman in a bed with a young girl who needs to be buried, however the author is unable to come along to bury this little woman.

Instead of telling about a six-years-old black child massacred at Sebokeng and being imprisoned for threatening the state, The New York Times only reported the problem in that country. TNY only mentioned the problem because a White South African has been killed in the conflicted area.
'''''“We were two Black women touching our flame and we left our dead behind us I hovered you rose the last ritual of healing"''''' <ref>Katz, Mika. [http://thisamericanlyric2015.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/2015/04/13/north-american-timesisters-in-arms/ North American Time/Sisters in Arms]. This is American Lyrics 2015. April 13, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racsim in Poetry]]

Sandra's Smile by Blood Orange (2005)

2021-02-25T03:59:58Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Sandra's Smile.jpg|thumb|Sandra's Smile]]
'''Sandra’s Smile''' is a single released in 2005 written and produced by singer-songwriter <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dev_Hynes_discography</ref>
[https://genius.com/artists/Devonte-hynes Devonté Hynes] or well known as Blood Orange. <ref>https://genius.com/Blood-orange-sandras-smile-lyrics</ref>

[[File:Blood Orange.jpg|thumb||left|Blood Orange]]

=Key Lyrics=
''Who taught you to breathe, then took away your speech''

''Made you feel so loved, then shook your hand with gloves?''

''You watched her pass away the words she said weren't faint''

''Closed our eyes for a while, but I still see Sandra's smile'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Dev Hynes’ Sandra’s Smile is an ode to Sandra Bland, the 28-years-old black woman who was found dead in a jail in Waller County, Texas due to a minor traffic violation, as well as all for all the victims of America’s brutal systems. The song becomes a mark of a protest song, black grief is channeled into a source of strength, all the pain and frustration metamorphosed for the future’s victory. <ref>https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/17778-blood-orange-sandras-smile/</ref>

In a series of Genius annotations, Hynes details how Sandra Bland’s and Trayvon Martin’s death and tragedy becomes "culture vultures" and more informed the song.

On '''"[https://pitchfork.com/news/61809-blood-orange-annotates-sandras-smile-lyrics/ culture vultures]"''' :

'''''Made you feel so loved, then shook your hand with gloves.'''''

''"Culture vultures make us feel so good, so great… so a part of something, at least for a little while. How many times have you heard of some celebrity whose career is indebted to black people and their love of black people, who then have to put out a public apology for throwing around the term nigga, or the other side, become deafly silent when we really need their help or voice?"''

On Bland:

'''''You watched her pass away the words she said weren’t faint.'''''

''We all saw Sandra Bland die, we all heard the words she said as it happened.''

'''''Closed our eyes for a while, but I still see Sandra’s smile.'''''

''I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra’s death. I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness...a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable.''

On Trayvon Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton:

'''''__Look, an hour ago.. I read Sybrina’s quote.'''''

'''''____I mean, why should she forgive?'''''

'''''__D’we lose you if, we don’t?'''''

''"I was reading the interview with Sybrina Fulton in NYMAG where she says she is not ready to forgive, and saw it become such a huge story. It’s insane to me people even pose this question to her, it’s no ones business except for hers. On top of that, when a white family loses a member to a tragic situation such as a school shooting, that question isn’t thrown on them, so why is Sybrina asked it? This is a deeper question, and one I’ve been writing about in my personal time a lot, the idea of Christianity in black culture, and thus the views of which we view the black mother in."'' <ref>https://pitchfork.com/news/61809-blood-orange-annotates-sandras-smile-lyrics/</ref>

Hynes also spoke about how the incident inspired the song and the appropriation of black culture in music. He explains that the song’s title is as a tribute to Sandra Bland. “I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra’s death. I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness..a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable,” wrote Hynes in his annotation notes. “How many times have you heard of some celebrity whose career is indebted to black people and their love of black people, who then have to put out a public apology for throwing around the term n****, or the other side, become deafly silent when we really need their help or voice?” he wrote. <ref>https://diymag.com/2015/10/29/dev-hynes-expands-on-meaning-behind-new-blood-orange-song-sandras-smile</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Sandra's Smile by Blood Orange (2005)

2021-02-25T03:55:38Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Sandra's Smile.jpg|thumb|Sandra's Smile]]
'''Sandra’s Smile''' is a single released in 2005 written and produced by singer-songwriter <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dev_Hynes_discography</ref>
[https://genius.com/artists/Devonte-hynes Devonté Hynes] or well known as Blood Orange. <ref>https://genius.com/Blood-orange-sandras-smile-lyrics</ref>

[[File:Blood Orange.jpg|thumb||left|Blood Orange]]

=Key Lyrics=
''Who taught you to breathe, then took away your speech''

''Made you feel so loved, then shook your hand with gloves?''

''You watched her pass away the words she said weren't faint''

''Closed our eyes for a while, but I still see Sandra's smile'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Dev Hynes’ Sandra’s Smile is an ode to Sandra Bland, the 28-years-old black woman who was found dead in a jail in Waller County, Texas due to a minor traffic violation, as well as all for all the victims of America’s brutal systems. The song becomes a mark of a protest song, black grief is channeled into a source of strength, all the pain and frustration metamorphosed for the future’s victory. <ref>https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/17778-blood-orange-sandras-smile/</ref>

In a series of Genius annotations, Hynes details how Sandra Bland’s and Trayvon Martin’s death and tragedy becomes "culture vultures" and more informed the song.

On '''"culture vultures"''' :

'''''Made you feel so loved, then shook your hand with gloves.'''''

''"Culture vultures make us feel so good, so great… so a part of something, at least for a little while. How many times have you heard of some celebrity whose career is indebted to black people and their love of black people, who then have to put out a public apology for throwing around the term nigga, or the other side, become deafly silent when we really need their help or voice?"''

On Bland:

'''''You watched her pass away the words she said weren’t faint.'''''

''We all saw Sandra Bland die, we all heard the words she said as it happened.''

'''''Closed our eyes for a while, but I still see Sandra’s smile.'''''

''I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra’s death. I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness...a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable.''

On Trayvon Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton:

'''''__Look, an hour ago.. I read Sybrina’s quote.'''''

'''''____I mean, why should she forgive?'''''

'''''__D’we lose you if, we don’t?'''''

''"I was reading the interview with Sybrina Fulton in NYMAG where she says she is not ready to forgive, and saw it become such a huge story. It’s insane to me people even pose this question to her, it’s no ones business except for hers. On top of that, when a white family loses a member to a tragic situation such as a school shooting, that question isn’t thrown on them, so why is Sybrina asked it? This is a deeper question, and one I’ve been writing about in my personal time a lot, the idea of Christianity in black culture, and thus the views of which we view the black mother in."'' <ref>https://pitchfork.com/news/61809-blood-orange-annotates-sandras-smile-lyrics/</ref>

Hynes also spoke about how the incident inspired the song and the appropriation of black culture in music. He explains that the song’s title is as a tribute to Sandra Bland. “I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra’s death. I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness..a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable,” wrote Hynes in his annotation notes. “How many times have you heard of some celebrity whose career is indebted to black people and their love of black people, who then have to put out a public apology for throwing around the term n****, or the other side, become deafly silent when we really need their help or voice?” he wrote. <ref>https://diymag.com/2015/10/29/dev-hynes-expands-on-meaning-behind-new-blood-orange-song-sandras-smile</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Sandra's Smile by Blood Orange (2005)

2021-02-25T03:55:16Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Sandra's Smile.jpg|thumb|Sandra's Smile]]
'''Sandra’s Smile''' is a single released in 2005 written and produced by singer-songwriter <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dev_Hynes_discography</ref>
[https://genius.com/artists/Devonte-hynes Devonté Hynes] or well known as Blood Orange. <ref>https://genius.com/Blood-orange-sandras-smile-lyrics</ref>

[[File:Blood Orange.jpg|thumb||left|Blood Orange]]

=Key Lyrics=
''Who taught you to breathe, then took away your speech''

''Made you feel so loved, then shook your hand with gloves?''

''You watched her pass away the words she said weren't faint''

''Closed our eyes for a while, but I still see Sandra's smile'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Dev Hynes’ Sandra’s Smile is an ode to Sandra Bland, the 28-years-old black woman who was found dead in a jail in Waller County, Texas due to a minor traffic violation, as well as all for all the victims of America’s brutal systems. The song becomes a mark of a protest song, black grief is channeled into a source of strength, all the pain and frustration metamorphosed for the future’s victory. <ref>https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/17778-blood-orange-sandras-smile/</ref>

In a series of Genius annotations, Hynes details how Sandra Bland’s and Trayvon Martin’s death and tragedy becomes "culture vultures" and more informed the song.

On "culture vultures":

'''''Made you feel so loved, then shook your hand with gloves.'''''

''"Culture vultures make us feel so good, so great… so a part of something, at least for a little while. How many times have you heard of some celebrity whose career is indebted to black people and their love of black people, who then have to put out a public apology for throwing around the term nigga, or the other side, become deafly silent when we really need their help or voice?"''

On Bland:

'''''You watched her pass away the words she said weren’t faint.'''''

''We all saw Sandra Bland die, we all heard the words she said as it happened.''

'''''Closed our eyes for a while, but I still see Sandra’s smile.'''''

''I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra’s death. I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness...a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable.''

On Trayvon Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton:

'''''__Look, an hour ago.. I read Sybrina’s quote.'''''

'''''____I mean, why should she forgive?'''''

'''''__D’we lose you if, we don’t?'''''

''"I was reading the interview with Sybrina Fulton in NYMAG where she says she is not ready to forgive, and saw it become such a huge story. It’s insane to me people even pose this question to her, it’s no ones business except for hers. On top of that, when a white family loses a member to a tragic situation such as a school shooting, that question isn’t thrown on them, so why is Sybrina asked it? This is a deeper question, and one I’ve been writing about in my personal time a lot, the idea of Christianity in black culture, and thus the views of which we view the black mother in."'' <ref>https://pitchfork.com/news/61809-blood-orange-annotates-sandras-smile-lyrics/</ref>

Hynes also spoke about how the incident inspired the song and the appropriation of black culture in music. He explains that the song’s title is as a tribute to Sandra Bland. “I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra’s death. I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness..a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable,” wrote Hynes in his annotation notes. “How many times have you heard of some celebrity whose career is indebted to black people and their love of black people, who then have to put out a public apology for throwing around the term n****, or the other side, become deafly silent when we really need their help or voice?” he wrote. <ref>https://diymag.com/2015/10/29/dev-hynes-expands-on-meaning-behind-new-blood-orange-song-sandras-smile</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Miz Rosa Rides the Bus by Angela Jackson (1993)

2021-02-24T10:18:08Z

Fasya: /* Author */

'''Miz Rosa Rides The Bus''' portrays two incidents at the same time, expecting to enjoy the December holiday, while at the same time in a ride. However, it turned out that December turned to disaster as the situation she was not aware of and prepared for. Though she has hauled away, the author still portrays the irony. <ref>[https://www.coursehero.com/file/pddp8k7/Generally-the-main-theme-of-the-poem-is-the-theme-of-love-It-runs-down-through/#:~:text=In%20the%20other%20poem%20%E2%80%9CMiz,same%20time%20in%20a%20ride. Generally the main theme of the poem is the theme of]. Course Hero. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Poetry=
That day in December I sat down

by Miss Muffet of Montgomery.

I was myriad-weary. Feets swole

from sewing seams on a filthy fabric;

tired-sore a pedalin’ the rusty Singer;

dingy cotton thread jammed in the eye.

All lifelong I’d slide through century-reams

loathsome with tears. Dreaming my own

silk-self.

It was not like they all say. Miss Liberty Muffet

she didn’t

jump at the sight of me.

Not exactly.

They hauled me

away—a thousand kicking legs pinned down.

The rest of me I tell you—a cloud.

Beautiful trouble on the dead December

horizon. Come to sit in judgment.

How many miles as the Jim Crow flies?

Over oceans and some. I rumbled.

They couldn’t hold me down. Long.

No.

My feets were tired. My eyes were

sore. My heart was raw from hemming

dirty edges of Miss L. Muffet’s garment.

I rode again.

A thousand bloody miles after the Crow flies

that day in December long remembered when I sat down

beside Miss Muffet of Montgomery.

I said—like the joke say—What’s in the bowl, Thief?

I said—That’s your curse.

I said—This my way.

She slipped her frock, disembarked,

settled in the suburbs, deaf, mute, lewd, and blind.

The bowl she left behind. The empty bowl mine.

The spoiled dress.

Jim Crow dies and ravens come with crumbs.

They say—Eat and be satisfied.

I fast and pray and ride. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56156/miz-rosa-rides-the-bus Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Author=
Angela Jackson was born on July 25, 1951 in Greenville, Mississippi, the fifth of nine children. Jackson grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She joined the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_Black_American_Culture Organization of Black American Culture] (OBAC) with fellow young black writers, Haki Madhubuti (Don L. Lee), Carolyn Rodgers, Sterling Plumpp, and was an editor of the journal Nommo. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Jackson Angela Jackson]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

Her parents moved to Chicago where Jackson attended St. Anne’s Catholic School. Graduating in 1968 from Loretto Academy with a pre-med scholarship to Northwestern University. She received her B.A. degree in 1977 from Northwestern University and went on her M.A degree from the University of Chicago. <ref>[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/angela-jackson-41 Angela Jackson History]. The History Makers. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

The award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist has published three chapbooks and four volumes of poetry. <ref>[https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/poetlaureate/Pages/Angela-Jackson-Bio.aspx Angela Jackson Biography]. Illinois Gov. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

Jackson’s free verse poems focus on myth and life experience, invocation, and conversation. According to [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson poetryfoundation.org], her works including ''Voo Doo/Love Magic (1974)''; ''Dark Legs and Silk Kisses: The Beatitudes of the Spinners (1993)'', winning the Carl Sandburg Award; National Book Award–nominated ''And All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New (1998)''; and ''It Seems Like a Mighty Long Time (2015)''. She has also written several plays, including ''Witness! (1978)'', ''Shango Diaspora: An African-American Myth of Womanhood and Love (1980)'', and ''When the Wind Blows (1984)'', as well as novel ''Where I Must Go (2009)'' won the American Book Award. She honors a Pushcart Prize, TriQuarterly’s Daniel Curley Award, the Poetry Society of America’s Shelley Memorial Award. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson Angela Jackson]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Racism Issue=
The poem recognize a historical moment where a woman fighting against racial segregation and worked for hours to get through life in society. The poem depicts, allowing the reader to visualize and understand how harsh the working conditions that Rosa Parks worked under, described by Rosa Parks was ‘hauled out’ the bus and held down, yet Rosa never gave up. Rosa continued to fight for what she believed and that is the important thing. <ref>Nayapapaya. [https://sanayas.poetry.blog/2018/10/23/poem-responses/ Poem Responses]. Sanaya's Poetry Blog. October 23, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Miz Rosa Rides the Bus by Angela Jackson (1993)

2021-02-24T10:17:29Z

Fasya: /* Author */

'''Miz Rosa Rides The Bus''' portrays two incidents at the same time, expecting to enjoy the December holiday, while at the same time in a ride. However, it turned out that December turned to disaster as the situation she was not aware of and prepared for. Though she has hauled away, the author still portrays the irony. <ref>[https://www.coursehero.com/file/pddp8k7/Generally-the-main-theme-of-the-poem-is-the-theme-of-love-It-runs-down-through/#:~:text=In%20the%20other%20poem%20%E2%80%9CMiz,same%20time%20in%20a%20ride. Generally the main theme of the poem is the theme of]. Course Hero. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Poetry=
That day in December I sat down

by Miss Muffet of Montgomery.

I was myriad-weary. Feets swole

from sewing seams on a filthy fabric;

tired-sore a pedalin’ the rusty Singer;

dingy cotton thread jammed in the eye.

All lifelong I’d slide through century-reams

loathsome with tears. Dreaming my own

silk-self.

It was not like they all say. Miss Liberty Muffet

she didn’t

jump at the sight of me.

Not exactly.

They hauled me

away—a thousand kicking legs pinned down.

The rest of me I tell you—a cloud.

Beautiful trouble on the dead December

horizon. Come to sit in judgment.

How many miles as the Jim Crow flies?

Over oceans and some. I rumbled.

They couldn’t hold me down. Long.

No.

My feets were tired. My eyes were

sore. My heart was raw from hemming

dirty edges of Miss L. Muffet’s garment.

I rode again.

A thousand bloody miles after the Crow flies

that day in December long remembered when I sat down

beside Miss Muffet of Montgomery.

I said—like the joke say—What’s in the bowl, Thief?

I said—That’s your curse.

I said—This my way.

She slipped her frock, disembarked,

settled in the suburbs, deaf, mute, lewd, and blind.

The bowl she left behind. The empty bowl mine.

The spoiled dress.

Jim Crow dies and ravens come with crumbs.

They say—Eat and be satisfied.

I fast and pray and ride. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56156/miz-rosa-rides-the-bus Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Author=
Angela Jackson was born on July 25, 1951 in Greenville, Mississippi, the fifth of nine children. Jackson grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She joined the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_Black_American_Culture Organization of Black American Culture] (OBAC) with fellow young black writers, Haki Madhubuti (Don L. Lee), Carolyn Rodgers, Sterling Plumpp, and was an editor of the journal Nommo. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Jackson Angela Jackson]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

Her parents moved to Chicago where Jackson attended St. Anne’s Catholic School. Graduating in 1968 from Loretto Academy with a pre-med scholarship to Northwestern University. She received her B.A. degree in 1977 from Northwestern University and went on her M.A degree from the University of Chicago. <ref>[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/angela-jackson-41 Angela Jackson History]. The History Makers. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

The award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist has published three chapbooks and four volumes of poetry. <ref>[https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/poetlaureate/Pages/Angela-Jackson-Bio.aspx Angela Jackson Biography]. Illinois Gov. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

Jackson’s free verse poems focus on myth and life experience, invocation, and conversation. According to [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson Angela Jackson poetryfoundation.org], her works including ''Voo Doo/Love Magic (1974)''; ''Dark Legs and Silk Kisses: The Beatitudes of the Spinners (1993)'', winning the Carl Sandburg Award; National Book Award–nominated ''And All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New (1998)''; and ''It Seems Like a Mighty Long Time (2015)''. She has also written several plays, including ''Witness! (1978)'', ''Shango Diaspora: An African-American Myth of Womanhood and Love (1980)'', and ''When the Wind Blows (1984)'', as well as novel ''Where I Must Go (2009)'' won the American Book Award. She honors a Pushcart Prize, TriQuarterly’s Daniel Curley Award, the Poetry Society of America’s Shelley Memorial Award. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson Angela Jackson]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Racism Issue=
The poem recognize a historical moment where a woman fighting against racial segregation and worked for hours to get through life in society. The poem depicts, allowing the reader to visualize and understand how harsh the working conditions that Rosa Parks worked under, described by Rosa Parks was ‘hauled out’ the bus and held down, yet Rosa never gave up. Rosa continued to fight for what she believed and that is the important thing. <ref>Nayapapaya. [https://sanayas.poetry.blog/2018/10/23/poem-responses/ Poem Responses]. Sanaya's Poetry Blog. October 23, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Miz Rosa Rides the Bus by Angela Jackson (1993)

2021-02-24T10:12:45Z

Fasya: /* Author */

'''Miz Rosa Rides The Bus''' portrays two incidents at the same time, expecting to enjoy the December holiday, while at the same time in a ride. However, it turned out that December turned to disaster as the situation she was not aware of and prepared for. Though she has hauled away, the author still portrays the irony. <ref>[https://www.coursehero.com/file/pddp8k7/Generally-the-main-theme-of-the-poem-is-the-theme-of-love-It-runs-down-through/#:~:text=In%20the%20other%20poem%20%E2%80%9CMiz,same%20time%20in%20a%20ride. Generally the main theme of the poem is the theme of]. Course Hero. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Poetry=
That day in December I sat down

by Miss Muffet of Montgomery.

I was myriad-weary. Feets swole

from sewing seams on a filthy fabric;

tired-sore a pedalin’ the rusty Singer;

dingy cotton thread jammed in the eye.

All lifelong I’d slide through century-reams

loathsome with tears. Dreaming my own

silk-self.

It was not like they all say. Miss Liberty Muffet

she didn’t

jump at the sight of me.

Not exactly.

They hauled me

away—a thousand kicking legs pinned down.

The rest of me I tell you—a cloud.

Beautiful trouble on the dead December

horizon. Come to sit in judgment.

How many miles as the Jim Crow flies?

Over oceans and some. I rumbled.

They couldn’t hold me down. Long.

No.

My feets were tired. My eyes were

sore. My heart was raw from hemming

dirty edges of Miss L. Muffet’s garment.

I rode again.

A thousand bloody miles after the Crow flies

that day in December long remembered when I sat down

beside Miss Muffet of Montgomery.

I said—like the joke say—What’s in the bowl, Thief?

I said—That’s your curse.

I said—This my way.

She slipped her frock, disembarked,

settled in the suburbs, deaf, mute, lewd, and blind.

The bowl she left behind. The empty bowl mine.

The spoiled dress.

Jim Crow dies and ravens come with crumbs.

They say—Eat and be satisfied.

I fast and pray and ride. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56156/miz-rosa-rides-the-bus Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Author=
Angela Jackson was born on July 25, 1951 in Greenville, Mississippi, the fifth of nine children. Jackson grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She joined the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_Black_American_Culture Organization of Black American Culture] (OBAC) with fellow young black writers, Haki Madhubuti (Don L. Lee), Carolyn Rodgers, Sterling Plumpp, and was an editor of the journal Nommo. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Jackson Angela Jackson]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

Her parents moved to Chicago where Jackson attended St. Anne’s Catholic School. Graduating in 1968 from Loretto Academy with a pre-med scholarship to Northwestern University. She received her B.A. degree in 1977 from Northwestern University and went on her M.A degree from the University of Chicago. <ref>[https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/angela-jackson-41 Angela Jackson History]. The History Makers. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

The award-winning poet, playwright, and novelist has published three chapbooks and four volumes of poetry. <ref>[https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/poetlaureate/Pages/Angela-Jackson-Bio.aspx Angela Jackson Biography]. Illinois Gov. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

Jackson’s free verse poems focus on myth and life experience, invocation, and conversation. Her works including Voo Doo/Love Magic (1974); Dark Legs and Silk Kisses: The Beatitudes of the Spinners (1993), winning the Carl Sandburg Award; National Book Award–nominated And All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New (1998); and It Seems Like a Mighty Long Time (2015). She has also written several plays, including Witness! (1978), Shango Diaspora: An African-American Myth of Womanhood and Love (1980), and When the Wind Blows (1984), as well as novel Where I Must Go (2009) won the American Book Award.

She honors a Pushcart Prize, TriQuarterly’s Daniel Curley Award, the Poetry Society of America’s Shelley Memorial Award. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson Angela Jackson]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Racism Issue=
The poem recognize a historical moment where a woman fighting against racial segregation and worked for hours to get through life in society. The poem depicts, allowing the reader to visualize and understand how harsh the working conditions that Rosa Parks worked under, described by Rosa Parks was ‘hauled out’ the bus and held down, yet Rosa never gave up. Rosa continued to fight for what she believed and that is the important thing. <ref>Nayapapaya. [https://sanayas.poetry.blog/2018/10/23/poem-responses/ Poem Responses]. Sanaya's Poetry Blog. October 23, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson (1900)

2021-02-24T09:51:09Z

Fasya:

[[File:Lift Every Voice and Sing Cover.jpg|thumb|Lift Every Voice and Sing Cover]]
'''Lift Every Voice and Sing''' is a song which was written as a poem by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Weldon_Johnson James Weldon Johnson] in 1900. In the United States, the song is also referred to as the "Black national anthem". His brother, J.Rosamond Johnson, set the music for Lincoln's birthday in 1905.

The song was publicly performed as a poem in a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Colored_People NAACP], in 1919, dubbed it "the Negro national anthem" for its powerful messages for voicing liberation and affirmation for African-American community. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_Every_Voice_and_Sing</ref>

[[File:James Weldon Johnson.jpg|thumb||left|James Weldon Johnson]]

=Key Lyrics=
Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise,

High as the list'ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has tought us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on till victory is won. <ref>https://www.musixmatch.com/</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song became one of the most cherished songs of the African American Civil Rights Movement and often referred as the Black National Anthem. Originally, Lift Every Voice and Sing was originally written as a poem and set to music, performed for the first time in celebration of President Lincoln’s birthday by a choir of 500 schoolchildren on February 12, 1990 at the segregated Stanton School. <ref>https://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/black-authors-spoken-word-poetry/lift-every-voice-and-sing/</ref> <ref>https://www.naacp.org/naacp-history-lift-evry-voice-and-sing/</ref>

The song contained powerful messages, as a history lesson, a pledge of unity, a teary song, and for people gathered to fight for equality and justice. <ref>https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/09/us/lift-every-voice-and-sing-trnd/</ref>

For over 100 years, the song has been used and performed at important civil rights events around the world, from the early 20th century until today at protests and marches in the United States.

Rio Chanae sang the song when walking on the City Hall to a crowd of thousands, commemorating a week of marches protesting for police brutality. For Chanae, it represents the Black American culture and Black American voices, ''“I don’t know how much you know about the current National Anthem,”'' Chanae says, ''“but it speaks despairingly about slaves and black people hired by the British side during the Revolutionary War.”'' <ref>https://americansongwriter.com/lift-every-voice-and-sing-meaning-behind-the-song/</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson (1900)

2021-02-24T09:46:33Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Lift Every Voice and Sing Cover.jpg|thumb|Lift Every Voice and Sing Cover]]
'''Lift Every Voice and Sing''' is a song which was written as a poem by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Weldon_Johnson James Weldon Johnson] in 1900. The song is often referred to as the "Black national anthem" in the United States. His brother, J.Rosamond Johnson, set the music for Lincoln's birthday in 1905.

The song was publicly performed as a poem in a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Colored_People NAACP], in 1919, dubbed it "the Negro national anthem" for its powerful messages for voicing liberation and affirmation for African-American community. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_Every_Voice_and_Sing</ref>

[[File:James Weldon Johnson.jpg|thumb||left|James Weldon Johnson]]

=Key Lyrics=
Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise,

High as the list'ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has tought us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on till victory is won. <ref>https://www.musixmatch.com/</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song became one of the most cherished songs of the African American Civil Rights Movement and often referred as the Black National Anthem. Originally, Lift Every Voice and Sing was originally written as a poem and set to music, performed for the first time in celebration of President Lincoln’s birthday by a choir of 500 schoolchildren on February 12, 1990 at the segregated Stanton School. <ref>https://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/black-authors-spoken-word-poetry/lift-every-voice-and-sing/</ref> <ref>https://www.naacp.org/naacp-history-lift-evry-voice-and-sing/</ref>

The song contained powerful messages, as a history lesson, a pledge of unity, a teary song, and for people gathered to fight for equality and justice. <ref>https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/09/us/lift-every-voice-and-sing-trnd/</ref>

For over 100 years, the song has been used and performed at important civil rights events around the world, from the early 20th century until today at protests and marches in the United States.

Rio Chanae sang the song when walking on the City Hall to a crowd of thousands, commemorating a week of marches protesting for police brutality. For Chanae, it represents the Black American culture and Black American voices, ''“I don’t know how much you know about the current National Anthem,”'' Chanae says, ''“but it speaks despairingly about slaves and black people hired by the British side during the Revolutionary War.”'' <ref>https://americansongwriter.com/lift-every-voice-and-sing-meaning-behind-the-song/</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Land of the Free by The Killers (2019)

2021-02-24T09:44:32Z

Fasya:

[[File:Land of the Free by The Killers (2019).png|thumb|Land of the Free by The Killers (2019)]]
'''The Killers''' were influenced by the music style of the 1980s and 1990s, and have released six studio albums. The American band’s 2004 debut album, Hot Fuss, success four UK top-20 singles, including Mr. Brightside. The group also have released 38 singles, one of them is the song '''Land of the Free''', which was released on January 14, 2019. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killers_discography The Killers discography]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 30, 2021</ref>

The song focuses on subjects like gun control, racial tensions, and immigration. Brandon Flowers, in an exclusive interview with Zane Lowe, talked about the inspiration behind the song, ''“It started in my mind, around when [https://abcnews.go.com/US/sandy-hook-shooting-victims-gun-violence-commemorate-7th/story?id=67735556 Sandy Hook] happened and as a father how that affected me and then it just started stacking up. It was things like [[Killing of Eric Garner | Eric Garner]], [[Shooting of Trayvon Martin | Trayvon Martin]], things like what’s happening at the [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44319094 Mexico border wall]. This stuff didn’t seem to be in harmony with the values that I believe my country was founded on.”'' The band released a follow-up version with updated lyrics in the wake of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_George_Floyd killing of George Floyd]. <ref>[https://genius.com/The-killers-land-of-the-free-lyrics Land of the Free The Killers]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved January 30, 2021</ref>

[[File:The Killers.jpg|thumb||left|The Killers]]
=Key Lyrics=
Can't wipe the wind-blown smile from across my face

It's just the old man in me

Washing his truck at the Sinclair station

In the land of the free (Ooh)

His mother, Adeline's family, came on a ship

Cut coal and planted a seed

Down in them drift mines of Pennsylvania

In the land of the free

Land of the free, land of the free

In the land of the free

Land of the free, land of the free

Land of the free, land of the free

In the land of the free

(I'm standing crying)

When I go out in my car, I don't think twice

But if you're the wrong color skin (I'm standing, crying)

You grow up looking over both your shoulders

In the land of the free

And we got more people locked up than the rest of the world

Right here in red, white and blue (I'm standing, crying)

Incarceration's become big business

It's harvest time out on the avenue <ref>[https://genius.com/The-killers-land-of-the-free-lyrics Land of the Free The Killers]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved January 30, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Inspired by current events which address various issues such as racial inequality, gun violence, mass incarceration, and former President Trump's proposed wall at the Mexican border, the band proclaims the irony behind America’s longtime nickname, land of the free.

''Land of the free, land of the free''
''In the land of the free (I'm standing crying)''

The band’s frontman, Flowers said that the mass shooting happened in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was first inspired the idea for the song, ''"It started, in my mind, around the time Sandy Hook happened, and then it just started stacking up, like Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, things that are happening with [Donald Trump's] wall," he explained to Beats 1's Zane Lowe. "You know, this stuff just didn't seem to be in harmony with the values I believe my country was founded on."''<ref>[https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-killers/land-of-the-free Land Of The Free by The Killers]. ''songfacts.com''. Retrieved January 30, 2021</ref>

The lyrics on the second verse focuses on racial discrimination, mentioning racial profiling by police, it is also mentioned, life could be miserable if one’s born with wrong skin color in America. The song also mentioned the justice system in America, how the country has people locked up in prisons.

The song’s bridge reveals America’s gun violence, questioning one’s consciousness about having a gun problem.

The core of the song, the chorus describes the unfairness, cruelty, and injustice of the States, as this is not the value that America should have. <ref>[https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/the-killers-land-of-the-free-lyrics-meaning/ The Killers’ “Land of the Free” Lyrics Meaning]. January 15, 2019. ''songmeaningsandfacts.com''. Retrieved January 30, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

How Many by Miguel (2016)

2021-02-24T04:16:29Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Miguel.jpg|thumb|Miguel]]

'''How Many''' released on July 8, 2016 by [https://genius.com/artists/Miguel Miguel] on [[https://soundcloud.com/ SoundCloud]] as a response to the deaths of [[Shooting of Alton Sterling | Alton Sterling]] in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/us/philando-castile-facebook-police-shooting-minnesota.html Philando Castile] in Falcon Heights, Minnesota who were shot by police officers. <ref>[https://genius.com/Miguel-how-many-demo-lyrics#about How Many (Demo) Miguel]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
I'm tired of human lives turned into hashtags and prayer hands

I'm tired of watching these murderers get off

While we bury the lost, and loved, and innocent

Brothers and sisters it's time to wake up, wake up, wake up

Brothers and sisters it's time you say something, do something, make 'em

I wonder, how many black lives, how many black lives

How many heartbeats turned into flatlines

How many black lives, how many black lives

Does it take to wake the change?

Does it take to wake the change?

Does it take to wake the change?

We can't let them die in vain

Does it take to wake the change? <ref>[https://genius.com/Miguel-how-many-demo-lyrics#about How Many (Demo) Miguel]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song majorly was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the R&B singer sings, ''“I’m tired of human lives turned into hashtags and prayer hands.”''

On the track’s chorus, the lyrics states: ''“How many black lives, how many black lives? / How many heartbeats turned into flatlines? / How many black lives, how many black lives? / Does it take to wake the change?”''

Miguel took to Soundcloud about the song, ''“This version was started (written/recorded) here in London in my hotel room between the hours of 4am and around 7am when I passed out. I’ll update this song every week until it's complete. Please feel free to share. #blacklivesmatter”'' <ref>Kickham, Dylan. [https://ew.com/article/2016/07/08/miguel-black-lives-matter-song-how-many/g Miguel releases Black Lives Matter-inspired song]. EW. July 08, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

He is not the first musician to release a song in response to police brutality. Various artists contributed to share their thoughts such as Jay Z who released the song “Spiritual”, as well as Janelle Monaé and Solange Knowles who have issued their own dedications. Not to miss Beyoncé and Drake address this tragic shooting via open letters. <ref>Geslani, Michelle. [https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/07/miguel-pleads-for-justice-on-black-lives-matter-dedicated-song-how-many-listen/ Miguel pleads for justice on Black Lives Matter-dedicated song “How Many” — listen]. Consequence of Sound. July 08, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

How Many by Miguel (2016)

2021-02-24T04:10:57Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Miguel.jpg|thumb|Miguel]]

'''How Many''' released on July 8, 2016 by [https://genius.com/artists/Miguel Miguel] on [[https://soundcloud.com/ SoundCloud]] as a response to the deaths of [[Shooting of Alton Sterling | Alton Sterling]] in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/us/philando-castile-facebook-police-shooting-minnesota.html Philando Castile] in Falcon Heights, Minnesota who were shot by police officers. <ref>[https://genius.com/Miguel-how-many-demo-lyrics#about How Many (Demo) Miguel]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
I'm tired of human lives turned into hashtags and prayer hands

I'm tired of watching these murderers get off

While we bury the lost, and loved, and innocent

Brothers and sisters it's time to wake up, wake up, wake up

Brothers and sisters it's time you say something, do something, make 'em

I wonder, how many black lives, how many black lives

How many heartbeats turned into flatlines

How many black lives, how many black lives

Does it take to wake the change?

Does it take to wake the change?

Does it take to wake the change?

We can't let them die in vain

Does it take to wake the change? <ref>[https://genius.com/Miguel-how-many-demo-lyrics#about How Many (Demo) Miguel]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song majorly was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the R&B singer sings, ''“I’m tired of human lives turned into hashtags and prayer hands.”''

On the track’s chorus, the lyrics states: ''“How many black lives, how many black lives? / How many heartbeats turned into flatlines? / How many black lives, how many black lives? / Does it take to wake the change?”''

Miguel took to Soundcloud about the song, ''“This version was started (written/recorded) here in London in my hotel room between the hours of 4am and around 7am when I passed out. I’ll update this song every week until it's complete. Please feel free to share. #blacklivesmatter”'' <ref>Kickham, Dylan. [https://ew.com/article/2016/07/08/miguel-black-lives-matter-song-how-many/g Miguel releases Black Lives Matter-inspired song]. EW. July 08, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

He is not the first musician to release a song in response to police brutality. Jay Z released the song “Spiritual”, as well as Janelle Monaé and Solange Knowles have issued their own dedications. Not to miss Beyoncé and Drake address this tragic shooting via open letters. <ref>Geslani, Michelle. [https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/07/miguel-pleads-for-justice-on-black-lives-matter-dedicated-song-how-many-listen/ Miguel pleads for justice on Black Lives Matter-dedicated song “How Many” — listen]. Consequence of Sound. July 08, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Harder Than You Think by Public Enemy (2007)

2021-02-24T03:46:25Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Harder Than You Think Cover.jpg|thumb|Harder Than You Think Cover]]
'''Harder Than You Think''' is the first single by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy_(band) Public Enemy] as their 20th anniversary album How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? and released on August 13, 2007, produced by Gary G-Wiz. The hip hop song attained popularity during 2007 late summer, and became the group’s highest-charting single on the August 2012’s UK Single Chart. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harder_Than_You_Think</ref>

[[File:Public Enemy 12.jpg|thumb||left|Public Enemy]]

=Key Lyrics=
WHAT, GOES, ON!

Rolling Stones of the rap game, not bragging

Lips bigger than Jagger, not saggin'

Spell it backwards, I'ma leave it at that

That ain't got nothing to do with rap

Check the facts, expose those cats

Who pose as heroes and take advantage of blacks

Your government's gangster, so cut the crap

A war going on so where y'all at?

"Fight the Power" comes great responsibility

'F the Police' but who's stopping you from killing me?

Disaster, fiascos over a loop by P.E

If it's an I instead of we believing TV

Spitting riches, bitches, and this new thing about snitches

Watch them asses move as the masses switches

System dissed them but barely missed her

My sole intention to save my brothers and sisters <ref>https://genius.com/Public-enemy-harder-than-you-think-lyrics</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Public Enemy is dedicated to creating the songs which contain political and social messages, helping those who cannot voice their thoughts and speak for themselves. On Jan 13, NBC chose the song to debut as a Super Bowl XLIX commercial. <ref>https://www.blackenterprise.com/harder-than-you-think-selected-nbcs-official-super-bowl-xlix-commercial/</ref>

The song itself tells about Public Enemy as they are aware that helping humanity is harder than being a hardcore person because you need to convince them that they are wrong. <ref>https://genius.com/Public-enemy-harder-than-you-think-lyrics</ref>

The song was also featured in a campaign advertisement for the 2012 Paralympics. One of the group personnel, Chuck D tells Rolling Stone amidst the releasing of a new album, a lot of people thought that this was a brand new cut because one of their songs exposed, “which really makes you look at, like, if these exposure areas would expose more artists and better songs, then these reactions would be natural, instead of a company that just hogs up the air, forcing a lot of meaningless songs down people’s ears.

''“If they played ‘Harder Than You Think’ on urban radio two times a day, three times a day, it would probably do the same thing here,”'' he adds. ''“And the thing about the U.K., they blasted it through television. So that shows the power of being able to have opportunity on major media – even more so than the strength of the song.”'' <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/public-enemy-score-surprise-u-k-hit-100995/</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Glory by Common featuring John Legend (2014)

2021-02-24T03:32:01Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Glory Cover.png|thumb|Glory Cover]]
'''Glory''' is a song released on December 11, 2014 by Columbia Records and performed by American rapper [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_(rapper) Common] featuring [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Legend John Legend]. The hip hop song was a theme song from film Selma (2014), which portrays the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. Based on the US Billboard Hot 100, Glory reached at number 49 and won the award at the 87th Academy Awards (2015) and the 72nd Golden Globe Awards (2015) as the Best Original Song, as well as the award won at the the 58th Annual Grammy Awards (2016) as the Best Song Written for Visual Media. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(Common_and_John_Legend_song)</ref>

[[File:Common featuring John Legend.jpg|thumb||left|Common featuring John Legend]]

=Key Lyrics=
Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon

Formed against, yes glory is destined

Every day women and men become legends

Sins that go against our skin become blessings

The movement is a rhythm to us

Freedom is like religion to us

Justice is juxtaposition in us

Justice for all just ain't specific enough

One son died, his spirit is revisitin' us

Truant livin' livin' in us, resistance is us

That's why Rosa sat on the bus

That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up

When it go down we woman and man up

They say, "Stay down" and we stand up

Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up

King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up

One day, when the glory comes

It will be ours, it will be ours

Oh, one day, when the war is one

We will be sure, we will be here sure <ref>https://www.lyricsbox.com/common-and-john-legend-glory-lyrics-pkdp9sm.html</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Glory was inspired by the events that happened 50 years ago and the topic is still relevant today by inserting the current hot incidents and the Civil Rights Movement in general. The song was a soundtrack of film Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965, both Common and Legend explained how the song can relate the recent protest in Ferguson, MO. <ref>https://deadline.com/2015/02/oscar-common-john-legend-glory-1201374243</ref> :

''“I looked at Ferguson and saw what was going on, and knew that it wasn’t far from what was happening during the civil rights movement – people standing up for what they believe in, marching for what they believe in, protesting for what they believe in. We wanted this song to be inspirational. We wanted it to have that pain, but also hope.”'' Explained Common

Legend expressed a similar comment, ''“I wanted something that tied the spirit of Selma with what was happening in the streets at the time we were writing, which was people protesting in Missouri and eventually New York about injustice and police brutality.”'' <ref>https://genius.com/Common-glory-lyrics</ref>

In an interview with [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6363752/common-john-legend-glory-selma-interview Billboard], Common told that the song not only for paying honor for those who lived in the 60s until these times, but also can relate to today’s event, ''"You can look at what's going on in Ferguson, and it's not a far comparison to what happened to Jimmy Lee Jackson during the time of the civil rights movement that is shown in the film. So I really was thinking about encouraging people that we've come a long way, but we've still got some fighting to do, and we are capable. We've got to carry this torch and take it to the next level."''

He also pointed that Glory is just not a rap song, rather a beautiful song that is full of messages, so people could really hear and retain what was being said. Common hoped through this song this can bring intimacy to those who hear the song. <ref>https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6363752/common-john-legend-glory-selma-interview</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Get Up Stand Up by Bob Marley (1973)

2021-02-24T03:24:42Z

Fasya:

A reggae song, '''Get Up, Stand Up''' is a song from reggae singer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley Bob Marley]. The song was written by Marley and Peter Tosh, which originally appeared on the Wallers album Burnin’ in 1973. In the same year, Get Up, Stand UP reached number 33 on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Top_40 Dutch Top 40], and peaked at number 49 in New Zealand. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Up,_Stand_Up Get Up, Stand Up]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
Ey, get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!

Preacher man, don't tell me

Heaven is under the earth

I know you don't know

What life is really worth

It's not all that glitters is gold

Half the story has never been told

And now you see the light

You stand up for your rights <ref>[https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/38741/ Bob Marley and the Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up]. ''songmeanings.com''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song tells a story about taking action to avoid oppression, influenced by upbringing in Jamaica, where they had to fight for respect for their Rastafarian religion. <ref>[https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bob-marley-the-wailers/get-up-stand-up Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley & the Wailers]. ''songfacts.com''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

The song persuades people to open their eyes, ''"Now you see the light,"'' how appearances can fool one’s vision ''"half the story has never been told."'' Marley, throughout this song, believes that the society controls people/community. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Up,_Stand_Up Get Up, Stand Up]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

F*** tha Police by N.W.A. (1988)

2021-02-23T03:34:54Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:N.W.A..jpg|thumb|N.W.A.]]
'''Fuck tha Police''' is a protest song released on August 9, 1988 by American hip hop group [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.W.A N.W.A]. The song is as a track on the group’s album Straight Outta Compton as well as on the N.W.A's Greatest Hits compilation. The hip hop song was ranked 425 on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone Rolling Stone's] list of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_500_Greatest_Songs_of_All_Time 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]. The lyrics of the song tell about police brutality and racial profiling.

The "Fuck the Police" slogan continues influence pop culture since its release in 1988 into many forms, t-shirts, political expression, artwork, and more. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuck_tha_Police</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
''F*ck the police comin' straight from the underground''

''A young nigga got it bad 'cause I'm brown''

''And not the other color so police think''

''They have the authority to kill a minority''

''F*ck that shit, 'cause I ain't the one''

''For a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun''

''To be beatin' on, and thrown in jail''

''We can go toe to toe in the middle of a cell''

''Fuckin' with me 'cause I'm a teenager''

''With a little bit of gold and a pager''

''Searchin' my car, lookin' for the product''

''Thinkin' every nigga is sellin' narcotics''

''You'd rather see, me in the pen''

''Than me and Lorenzo rollin' in a Benz-o'' <ref>https://www.lyrics.com/track/34153096/N.W.A/Fuck+Tha+Police</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The N.W.A’s song Fuck the police becomes pioneers of gangsta rap and introduced their lyrics that reflecting the violent and harsh condition as Compton’s residents, California. <ref>https://www.history.com/news/black-music-slavery-protest</ref>

The song got [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-05-ca-1046-story.html FBI]'s attention and was sent a letter to Priority Records about the group’s album. FBI did not mention the song’s title explicitly, yet they claimed in the letter that the album “encourages violence against and disrespect for the law enforcement officer. <ref>https://genius.com/Nwa-fuck-tha-police-lyrics</ref>

Though there were strong push back for the song as claimed to encourage doing violence against the police, The group confirmed that they are not condoning the violence in the lyrics, but describing it. <ref>https://www.history.com/news/black-music-slavery-protest</ref>

Fuck tha Police has become the anthem of revolution, as protesters have taken to the streets in outrage over the wrongful killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Masses crawled and waved on their homemade board signs and spray-painted the title into the walls.

Ice Cube has echoed Ren's viewpoint for over the years, during the interview with [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nwa-fuck-tha-police-protest-song-1010355 rollingstone.com]. ''“That song is still in the same place before it was made,” the rapper said in 2015. “It’s our legacy here in America with the police department and any kind of authority figures that have to deal with us on a day-to-day basis. There’s usually abuse and violence connected to that interaction, so when ‘Fuck tha Police’ was made in 1988, it was 400 years in the making. And it’s still just as relevant as it was before it was made.”''

''“It seemed like all throughout junior high school, high school, [police] would just fuck with you for no reason,” Ren says. “It was like, if you black, you young, you in the hood, you in the ghettos of America, you just get fucked with. What you hear on the record is all the frustration, all the times getting harassed, getting pulled over for no reason at all, getting disrespected, having them try to disrespect your parents all because of your skin color. All of that builds up and you make a record. But we never thought the record would be around today with people still playing the record and into it. But shit, to me, it’s a perfect protest song.”''

Another group member, D.O.C gives comment saying that racism is a symptom, “Racism is just the symptom, but the fight is economic,” the D.O.C. says. “Black people have been marginalized and kept away from the economics of this country. I think people are starting to understand that and are trying to figure out how we can change that and allow everybody to join in this game of capitalism. That more than anything else is going to solidify people of color to really care about peace in their own neighborhoods, policing their own streets, not unlike the Black Panther party were doing back in the Sixties. [The Black Panthers] weren’t going to allow rogue police to come into their neighborhood and do the stuff these guys are doing to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery or Breonna Taylor. You couldn’t have done that in the Panthers’ neighborhood. They weren’t going to allow it.”

Ren said that though he never gone out for any George Floyd's protest, he support for people out there who did it.

''“I’m protesting in spirit,” he says. “I’m protesting with my song, ‘Fuck tha Police.'” He supports protesters’ calls to defund police as well as the need for better training, but mostly he wants to see justice for Floyd. “These motherfuckers got to pay,” he says, referring to the four officers involved in Floyd’s killing. “I saw something the other day, saying, it’s going to be hard to prosecute ’em. Man, if them motherfuckers get off, come on. You think it’s bad now, this is just the appetizer.”''

As well as D.O.C, who has not attended any protest saying that he is currently working on a plan where people of color can get an effect of change in a place where he lives, the Dallas–Fort Worth area. ''“You have to understand what it is you want, create a plan for what you want, and don’t allow them to give you any less than what it is you want, and that’s it,” he says. “Once you get a seat at the table, just like other communities, you will no longer allow [killings like] George Floyd’s [to happen].”''

Ren, though, is less optimistic. ''“It’s unfortunate somebody had to lose they life for [streams of ‘Fuck tha Police’ to go up], but it’s going to continue to happen,” he says. “That shit will happen long after I’m gone and Cube gone: People will still be saying, ‘Fuck the police.’ You’ll see it on posters. You’ll see it on the walls. People will listen to it again, because police brutality is never gonna end in this country for black people. Hopefully something will change, but black people have been getting killed for so long. Since we came to America, we’ve been getting lynched and shit for no reason at all. It’s like, when do this shit end?”'' <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nwa-fuck-tha-police-protest-song-1010355/</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

For Malcolm, A Year After by Etheridge Knight (1966)

2021-02-23T03:21:43Z

Fasya:

Eulogy delivered by Ossie Davis at the funeral of Malcolm X :

'''''“Here – at this final hour, in this quiet place – Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes -extinguished now, and gone from us forever. For Harlem is where he worked and where he struggled and fought – his home of homes, where his heart was, and where his people are – and it is, therefore, most fitting that we meet once again – in Harlem – to share these last moments with him. For Harlem has ever been gracious to those who have loved her, have fought her, and have defended her honor even to the death.'''''

'''''It is not in the memory of man that this beleaguered, unfortunate, but nonetheless proud community has found a braver, more gallant young champion than this Afro-American who lies before us – unconquered still. I say the word again, as he would want me to : Afro-American – Afro-American Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his use of words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a ‘Negro’ years ago. It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him. Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro-American and he wanted – so desperately – that we, that all his people, would become Afro-Americans too."''''' <ref>[https://www.groundcontrolparenting.com/uncategorized/thoughtful-thursday-malcolm-x/ Thoughtful Thursday: Malcolm X]. Ground Control Parenting. February 21, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2021.</ref>

=Poetry=
'''For Malcolm, A Year After'''

''Etheridge Knight''

Compose for Red a proper verse;

Adhere to foot and strict iamb;

Control the burst of angry words

Or they might boil and break the dam.

Or they might boil and overflow

And drench me, drown me, drive me mad.

So swear no oath, so shed no tear,

And sing no song blue Baptist sad.

Evoke no image, stir no flame,

And spin no yarn across the air.

Make empty anglo tea lace words—

Make them dead white and dry bone bare.

Compose a verse for Malcolm man,

And make it rime and make it prim.

The verse will die—as all men do—

but not the memory of him!

Death might come singing sweet like C,

Or knocking like the old folk say,

The moon and stars may pass away,

But not the anger of that day. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51370/for-malcolm-a-year-after Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

=Author=
Etheridge Knight was born April 19, 1931, an African-American poet whose one of his remarkable works debuted in 1968, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poems_from_Prison Poems from Prison]. The book recalls in verse of his eight-year-long sentence after being arrested. His second book, Black Voices from Prison, first published in Italy in 1970 under the title Voce negre dal carcere. He was one of the major poets of the Black Arts Movement, which flourished from the early 1960s until the middle of 1970s. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etheridge_Knight Etheridge Knight]. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

After dropping out of school in eighth grade and serving as a medical technician in Korea, Knight’s past life was , he became addicted to drugs and alcohol, turned to crime. In 1960, he was arrested and prisoned for robbery. <ref>[https://www.poetryoutloud.org/poet/etheridge-knight/ Etheridge Knight]. Poetry Out Loud. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

He emerged as a robust voice of the Black Arts movement shown by his works which concerns freedom from oppression. <ref>M. Cunningham, John. [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Etheridge-Knight Etheridge Knight]. Britannica. Retrieved January 15, 2021</ref>

According to Black American Literature Forum by Patricia Liggins Hill, Knight’s prison poetry are much focuses on imprisonment as a form of modern slavery and seeking ways for free while in incarceration. <ref>Jones, Jae. [https://blackthen.com/poem-malcolm-year-etheridge-knight/ POEM FOR MALCOLM, A YEAR AFTER BY ETHERIDGE KNIGHT]. Black Then. June 23, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020</ref>

=Racism Issue=
Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965 by a member of the Nation of Islam while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity in at the Audubon Ballroom, New York City.

For Malcolm, A Year After, is a tribute to the activist and religious leader which voiced shock, anger, sadness that shocked Black America after his death. Malcolm X was an advocate for the urban poor and working-class black America. <ref>[https://www.groundcontrolparenting.com/uncategorized/thoughtful-thursday-malcolm-x/ Thoughtful Thursday: Malcolm X]. Ground Control Parenting. February 21, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2021.</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan (1962)

2021-02-23T03:02:47Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Death of Emmett Till.jpg|thumb|Death of Emmett Till]]
'''The Death of Emmett Till''' is a song by American musician and Nobel Laureate [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan Bob Dylan], telling about the murder and trial of a 14-year-old African-American young man. Emmett Till was killed by two white men, reportedly after flirting with a white woman on August 28, 1955. In 1962, Dylan first performed the song <ref>https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/death-of-emmett-till-by-bob-dylan</ref> and apparently the song which is also known as ''The Ballad of Emmett Till'' never appeared on Dylan’s studio albums. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Emmett_Till</ref>

[[File:Bob Dylan.jpg|thumb||left|Bob Dylan]]

=Key Lyrics=
''This song is just a reminder to remind your fellow man''

''That this kind of thing still lives today in that ghost-robed Ku Klux Klan''

''But if all of us folks that thinks alike, if we gave all we could give''

''We could make this great land of ours a greater place to live'' <ref>https://www.insidehook.com/article/music/25-songs-about-racism-that-are-still-sadly-relevant-today</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
''"They murdered that boy, and to hide their dastardly act, they tied barbed wire to his neck and to a heavy gin fan and dumped him into the river for the turtles and the fish."'' --'''''Prosecutor Gerald Chatham'''''

Two months earlier in summer before Rosa Parks’ incident when she refused to obey an order to give her seat on a white person on a Montgomery bus on December 1, 1955, an African-American boy, Emmett Till (14) found dead as he had been brutally murdered and his body thrown in the Tallahatchie River. However, despite the clear evidence that two white men had committed the crime, the two were found innocent as the all white jury returned a “Not Guilty” verdict. Parks wrote, ''"the news of Emmett's death caused me...to participate in the cry for justice and equal rights."'' Parks, in an interview, described herself as ''"very upset, very devastated"'' by the Till murder. The trial of two white men, Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam shook the conscience of a nation and became one of the pioneers of the movement for civil rights for black Americans. <ref>https://famous-trials.com/emmetttill</ref>

Seven years after the incident, Bob Dylan wrote the song as a tribute to Emmett Till and reminder that injustice still happened around.

Dylan recorded it for Marcus Witmark & Sons, one of his first two publishing companies. The version appeared on various Bootlegs, yet the song was not released officially as he recorded until 2010. <ref>https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bob-dylan/the-death-of-emmett-till</ref>

=References=
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[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Dancing with Strom by Nikky Finney (2011)

2021-02-23T02:58:04Z

Fasya:

In an interview Finney told about the poem, Dancing with Strom which is a true story from the wedding of her youngest brother, ''"This is a true story. It was the wedding day of my youngest brother. We had just left the church and arrived at the reception. My brother’s new wife was born in Edgefield, South Carolina. Edgefield, South Carolina, was also the home of Senator Strom Thurmond. Edgefield was where the reception was being held. Thurmond heard about the wedding and dropped by. There was no tradition. There was only this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Thurmond’s driver pulled up in a long black car. Thurmond got out. I was standing way up high on a balcony looking down. He danced with all the women there. All of the women were Black women. One of them was my mother. It was quite a celebration. Weddings usually are. I was the only one standing around feeling that the moment was a scandalous one. I was the sister of the groom. I was also the poet standing there staring down, rudely staring at all the happy dancing human beings, the poet who could not help but bring her long memory to the dance."'' <ref>[https://www.jetfuelreview.com/interview-nikky-finney.html Interview with Nikky Finney]. Jet Fuel Review. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=Poetry=
I want to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, there’s not enough
troops in the army to force the southern people to break
down segregation and accept the Negro [pronounced Nigra]
into our theatres, into our swimming pools, into our homes,
and into our churches.
—Strom Thurmond, South Carolina
Senator and Presidential Candidate
for the States’ Rights Party, 1948

I said, “I’m gonna fight Thurmond from the mountain to
the sea.”
—Modjeska Monteith Simkins, Civil
Rights Matriarch, South Carolina, 1948

The youngest has been married off.

He is as tall as Abraham Lincoln. Here, on his

wedding day, he flaunts the high spinning laugh

of a newly freed slave. I stand above him, just

off the second-floor landing, watching

the celebration unfold.

Uncle-cousins, bosom buddies, convertible cars

of nosy paramours, strolling churlish penny-

pinchers pour onto the mansion estate. Below,

Strom Thurmond is dancing with my mother.

The favorite son of South Carolina has already

danced with the giddy bride and the giddy bride’s

mother. More women await: Easter dressy,

drenched in caramel, double exposed, triple cinched,

lined up, leggy, ready.

I refuse to leave the porch.

If I walk down I imagine he will extend his

hand, assume I am next in his happy darky line,

#427 on his dance card. His history

and mine, burnt cork and blackboard chalk,

concentric, pancaked, one face, two histories,

slow dragging, doing the nasty.

My father knows all this.

Daddy’s Black Chief Justice legs straddle the boilerplate

carapace of the CSS H. L. Hunley, lost Confederate

submarine, soon to be found just off the coast of

Charleston. He keeps it fully submerged by

applying the weight of every treatise he has

ever written against the death penalty of

South Carolina. Chanting “Briggs v. Elliott,”

he keeps the ironside door of the submarine shut.

No hands.

His eyes are a Black father’s beacon, search-

lights blazing for the married-off sons, and

on the unmarried, whale-eyed nose-in-book

daughter, born unmoored, quiet, yellow,

strategically placed under hospital lights to

fully bake. The one with the most to lose.

There will be no trouble. Still, he chain-

smokes. A burning stick of mint & Indian

leaf seesaws between his lips. He wants

me to remember that trouble is a fire that

runs like a staircase up then down. Even

on a beautiful day in June.

I remember the new research just out:

What the Negro gave America

Chapter 9,206:

Enslaved Africans gifted porches to North

America. Once off the boats they were told,

then made, to build themselves a place—to live.

They build the house that will keep them alive.

Rather than be the bloody human floret on

yet another southern tree, they imagine higher

ground. They build landings with floor enough

to see the trouble coming. Their arced imaginations

nail the necessary out into the floral air. On the

backs and fronts of twentypenny houses,

a watching place is made for the ones who will

come tipping with torch & hog tie through the

quiet woods, hoping to hang them as decoration

in the porcupine hair of longleaf.

The architecture of Black people is sui generis.

This is architecture dreamed by the enslaved:

Their design will be stolen.

Their wits will outlast gold.

My eyes seek historical rest from the kiss-

kiss theater below; Strom Thurmond’s

it’s-never-too-late-to-forgive-me chivaree.

I search the tops of yellow pine while my

fingers reach, catch, pinch my father’s

determined-to-rise smoke.

Long before AC African people did the

math: how to cool down the hot air of

South Carolina?

If I could descend, without being trotted

out by some roughrider driven by his

submarine dreams, this is what I’d take

my time and scribble into the three-tiered,

white créme wedding cake:

Filibuster. States’ Rights. The Grand Inquisition

of the great Thurgood Marshall. This wedding

reception would not have been possible without

the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (opposed by

you-know-who)

The Dixiecrat senator has not worn his

sandy seersucker fedora to the vows.

The top of Strom Thurmond’s bald head

reveals a birthmark tattooed in contrapposto

pose: Segregation Forever.

All my life he has been the face of hatred;

the blue eyes of the Confederate flag,

the pasty bald of white men pulling wooly

heads up into the dark skirts of trees,

the sharp, slobbering, amber teeth of

German shepherds, still clenched inside

the tissue-thin, (still marching), band-leader

legs of Black schoolteachers, the single-

minded pupae growing between the legs of

white boys crossing the tracks, ready to

force Black girls into fifth-grade positions,

Palmetto state-sanctioned sex 101.

I didn’t want to dance with him.

My young cousin arrives at my elbow.

Her beautiful lips the color of soft-skin

mangoes. She pulls, teasing the stitches

of my satin bridesmaid gown, “You better

go on down there and dance with Strom—

while he still has something left.”

I don’t tell her it is unsouthern for her

to call him by his first name, as if they

are familiar. I don’t tell her: To bear

witness to marriage is to believe that

everything moving through the sweet

wedding air can be confidently, left—

to Love.

I stand on the landing high above the

beginnings of Love, holding a plastic

champagne flute, drinking in the warm

June air of South Carolina. I hear my

youngest brother’s top hat joy. Looking

down I find him, deep in the giddy crowd,

modern, integrated, interpretive.

For ten seconds I consider dancing with

Strom. His Confederate hands touch

every shoulder, finger, back that I love.

I listen to the sound of Black laughter

shimmying. All worry floats beyond

the gurgling submarine bubbles,

the white railing, every drop of

champagne air.

I close my eyes and Uncle Freddie

appears out of a baby’s breath of fog.

(The dead are never porch bound.)

He moves with ease where I cannot.

He walks out on the rice-thrown air,

heaving a lightning bolt instead of

a wave. Suddenly, there is a table set,

complete with 1963 dining room stars,

they twinkle twinkle up & behind him.

Thelonious, Martin, Malcolm, Nina,

Dakota, all mouths Negro wide &

open have come to sing me down.

His tattered almanac sleeps curled like

a wintering slug in his back pocket.

His dark Dogon eyes jet to the scene

below, then zoom past me until they are

lost in the waning sugilite sky. Turning

in the shadows of the wheat fields,

he whispers a truth plucked from

the foreword tucked in his back pocket:

Veritas: Black people will forgive you

quicker than you can say Orangeburg

Massacre.

History does not keep books on the

handiwork of slaves. But the enslaved

who built this Big House, long before

I arrived for this big wedding, knew

the power of a porch.

This native necessity of nailing down

a place, for the cooling off of air,

in order to lift the friendly, the kindly,

the so politely, the in-love-ly, jubilant,

into the arms of the grand peculiar,

for the greater good of

the public spectacular:

us

giving us

away. <ref>[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/55992/dancing-with-strom Poetry and the Civil Rights Movement]. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=Author=
Nikky Finney began writing in the middle of the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements. She was born in 1957 at the rim of the Atlantic Ocean, South Carolina. <ref>[https://muse.jhu.edu/book/21142 Head Off & Split: Poems]. Muse JHU Edu. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

She is a child of activists and began to understand the powerful synergy between art and history at Talladega College, nurtured by Hale Woodruff’s Amistad murals. Her poetry books include Head Off & Split (2011); The World is Round (2003); Rice (1995); and On Wings Made of Gauze (1985). Heartwood (1997) edited The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South (2007). Finney’s fourth book Head Off & Split was awarded at National Book Award for poetry in 2011. <ref>[https://www.jetfuelreview.com/interview-nikky-finney.html Interview with Nikky Finney]. Jet Fuel Review. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=Racism Issue=
Dancing with Strom tells about both private and public life as the poem tells personal events which result in poetry becoming relevant for the reader. The poem’s title is about heading off from home, as it is a dramatic ritual, leaving with a script where everybody is involved. <ref>[https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/finney-lynn-carol/ Finney, Nikky]. SC Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

Dancing is an example of how the author approaches the uncomfortable subjects differently. The introduction words from Thurmond quote in 1948 '''''“I want to tell you, ladies and gentleman, there’s not enough troops in the Army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and accept the Negro [pronounced ‘nigra’] into our theatres, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches.”'''''

The author also included words by Modjeska Monteith Simkins, an underappreciated state civil right leader, said in 1948.
'''''“It’s the history that I wanted to know as a girl that I wasn’t taught in the South Carolina public school system,” said Finney, who was raised in Conway and Sumter. “We just keep the things we want to keep about history.”''''' <ref>R. Taylor Jr, Otis. [https://www.thestate.com/living/article14393102.html Poet Nikky Finney takes on the history we know ... and the history we don’t]. The State. May 12, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Poetry]]

Chocolate Rain by Tay Zonday (2007)

2021-02-22T12:17:54Z

Fasya:

[[File:Tay Zonday – Chocolate Rain.jpg|thumb|Tay Zonday – Chocolate Rain]]

'''Chocolate Rain''' is a song quickly popular around 2007 after the MV uploaded to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube YouTube] on April 22, 2007. The song was performed by American singer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Zonday Tay Zonday], which ranked as the hottest viral video by CTV and awarded the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube_Awards YouTube Award] in the category Music in 2008. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_Rain Chocolate Rain]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

[[File:Tay Zonday.jpg|thumb||left|Tay Zonday]]
=Key Lyrics=
Chocolate Rain

Some stay dry and others feel the pain

Chocolate Rain

A baby born will die before the sin

Chocolate Rain

The school books say it can't be here again

Chocolate Rain

The prisons make you wonder where it went

Chocolate Rain

Build a tent and say the world is dry

Chocolate Rain

Zoom the camera out and see the lie

Chocolate Rain

Forecast to be falling yesterday

Chocolate Rain

"Only in the past" is what they say

Chocolate Rain

Raised your neighborhood insurance rates

Chocolate Rain

Makes us happy living in a gate

Chocolate Rain

Made me cross the street the other day

Chocolate Rain

Made you turn your head the other way <ref>[https://genius.com/Tay-zonday-chocolate-rain-lyrics Chocolate Rain Tay Zonday]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Zonday’s Chocolate Rain is about systemic racism, as people love in a society with poverty of interrogatives, the song implicitly have either political message or social justice or power. <ref>Dieker, Nicole. [https://lifehacker.com/its-time-to-reconsider-chocolate-rain-1843825078 It's Time to Reconsider 'Chocolate Rain']. January 6, 2020. ''lifehacker.com''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

It is a metaphor for racism of African-Americans in the United States, the title ''“chocolate rain”'' refers to the blood of black people. The song’s lyrics ''"The school books say it can't be here again/The prisons make you wonder where it went"'', and ''"Build a tent and say the world is dry/Zoom the camera out and see the lie"'' points out as the existence of people who live in ignorance of the institutional racism issue in the United States. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_Rain Chocolate Rain]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

In a prelude, Zonday connects to the moment in American Reconstruction Era, he asserted:
'''''“Chocolate Rain” is a song that has a lot to do with history, and Phish covered it, and they also have a song called “Ass Handed” which, I presume, has a lot to do about history because some Americans were at one point promised 40 acres and a mule and that never exactly happened. So clearly, this song speaks to that historical moment. How does it go?''''' <ref>Broerman, Michael. [https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/tay-zonday-ass-handed/ “Chocolate Rain” Singer Tay Zonday Covers “Ass Handed” By Phish In Cameo Video [Watch]]. April 20, 2020. ''liveforlivemusic.com''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Black by Sevendust (1997)

2021-02-22T11:53:06Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Black Cover.jpg|thumb|Black Cover]]

'''Black''' is a song by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sevendust Sevendust], as well as their debut single from album ''Black'', released on April 25, 1997. The Nu metal song was one of the most successful songs and included on the Seasons limited edition DVD, also available on the band’s first live album in 2004, S''outhside Double-Wide: Acoustic Live''. The song was also as a soundtrack of video game, ''Test Drive Off-Road 2''. Black peaked at number 47 in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_Parader Hit Parader]’s 100 heavy metal top songs. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_(Sevendust_song) Black (Sevendust song)]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

[[File:Sevendust.jpg|thumb||left|Sevendust]]
=Key Lyrics=
Voices call

They call out my name, my name, my name

They say I'm different

Well I'm not the same, the same

You say you want to, ah, be like me

Well, boy, let me tell you…

You don't know what I've seen

They say a devil lives in my soul

I promise not to let him take control

I'm mindin' my own business

I ain't doin' nothin' wrong

I ain't doin' nothin' wrong

Shadows follow so close behind me

I look in the mirror…

I don't like what I see

Whoa, God, can't you help me

Get outta here? Here

I feel like I'm living

Deep in Hell <ref>[https://genius.com/Sevendust-black-lyrics#about Black Sevendust]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song itself was about racism and to remind others to mind their own business. In early 1998, the song was in the top 30 on the US Rock Chart. <ref>[https://genius.com/Sevendust-black-lyrics#about Black Sevendust]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

In an interview with '''''Ink 19''''', the drummer, Morgan Rose, said that the song is not strictly talking about racism, ''"If people would mind their own business, the world would be a better place. Everyone's trying to stick their nose in everybody's business, instead of worrying about themselves."''

This debut single was also the band’s first song that they had done together as a band, ''"It was one of the first songs that we had done together as a band. By the time we got a record deal, we had probably played it 500-600 times and we were just kinda tired of it. It was the last song we played for our label and the producers and they all just laughed and [said], 'You guys are funny, man. That's the best song of the bunch.' And we were like, 'No, it's not.' And they're like, 'Yes, it is – watch! This song will stick around for a long time.' And you know what? They were right! (laughs)"'' <ref>[https://www.songfacts.com/facts/sevendust/black Black by Sevendust]. ''songfacts.com''. Retrieved January 26, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Black & Ready by Jords (2020)

2021-02-22T11:21:37Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

'''Back & Ready''' is a song by American rapper [https://genius.com/artists/Jords Jords] released on June 11, 2020. <ref>[https://genius.com/Jords-black-and-ready-lyrics Black & Ready Jords]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref> The song contains powerful lyricism with distant chants of “Black Lives Matter”, which makes the song genuinely moving. The profit will be donated to The Black Curriculum, founded in 20199 to address the lack of Black British history in the United Kingdom Curriculum. <ref>Sullivan, Kieron. [https://ukhh.com/jords-black-ready/ Jords – Black & Ready]. Ukhh. July 4, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

[[File:LISTEN TO JORDS’ EMPOWERING NEW SINGLE “BLACK & READY”.png|thumb|LISTEN TO JORDS’ EMPOWERING NEW SINGLE “BLACK & READY”]]

[[File:Jords - Black & Ready (Official Video).png|thumb||left|Jords - Black & Ready (Official Video)]]
=Key Lyrics=
I know that black is beautiful, but can they see it?

I know that black is powerful, but can they feel it?

Done talkin', now we're past reason

There's only more glass behind all these glass ceilings, uh

Do you know how hard it is for us to trust

When you get strip-searched just for runnin' for the bus?

And you're only thirteen, you don't tell nobody else

No, you just blame yourself

Then you see 'em tearin' down your history in the media

That you don't learn in school, you gotta learn on Wikipedia

They tell you you're a menace 'til you think that you ain't good enough

All because you got your hoodie up, man

There'll be some trouble you get in just for the colour of your skin

But don't forget to look after your brothers 'cause they're kings

Don't forget to look after your sisters 'cause they're queens

Do not let them kill our dreams, man

If you're killin' us with violence, why should we be killin' you with kindness?

I've done some bad things but I don't glorify 'em

You might have bought my ancestors but you ain't bought my silence

I'm Malcolm for the outcome, I can't let nobody doubt it

That's why we can't just say we're black and proud, we gotta shout it

They don't wanna let us through to the top

I'd go back to where I came from if I knew where that was

They're killin' people in the States

There's people gettin' killed on our estate

Feds say that they gotta put in our place

But look at Grenfell, they can't even put 'em in a place, man

Fuck a petition when you're a man on a mission

This ain't 12 Years a Slave, it's twenty-six years a victim

I'll give you respect when you give us the time of day

Just an angry black man tryna find a way <ref>[https://genius.com/Jords-black-and-ready-lyrics Black & Ready Jords]. Genius. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Black & Ready’s major theme is about race relations, Jords gives his sincere and honest thoughts about the topic, with its lyrics alongside with the faint chants “Black Lives Matter” in the background. This creates an empower track for the black community.

The singer also announced that the proceeds from the song will be donated to The Black Curriculum, which is an organization devoted to facilitating social change by “delivering arts focused Black history programmes, providing teacher training and campaigning through mobilising young people”. <ref>Wynter, Courtney. [https://grmdaily.com/jords-black-and-ready/ LISTEN TO JORDS’ EMPOWERING NEW SINGLE “BLACK & READY”]. GRM Daily. June 12, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

Jords also explained his further views in a statement regarding how they feel and its correlation with the song:

'''''Right now, I am an angry black man.'''''
'''''One of many angry black people.'''''
'''''One of many hurt black people.'''''
'''''But also, one of many passionate black people.'''''
'''''One of many determined black people.'''''
'''''One of many brilliant black people.'''''
'''''I am done complaining. It’s time for us to build.'''''
'''''I will do all that I can to help build the black community in any way.'''''
'''''I put my emotions into a song, and we will be donating all the profits of this song to The Black Curriculum, a social enterprise founded in 2019 to address the lack of Black British history in the UK Curriculum.'''''
'''''This is just the start.'''''
'''''It’s time to own who we are, own what we do, and build what we own.'''''
'''''I love being black.'''''
'''''I am Black And Ready.'''''

'''''Yours,'''''

'''''Jords''''' <ref>RB, Anto. [https://www.finesseforeva.com/post/jords-gives-us-an-emotive-black-and-ready-new-single jords gives us an emotive Black and ready new single]. Finesse Foreva. July 20, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais by The Clash (1978)

2021-02-22T02:50:53Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (7-inch) (1978).png|thumb|(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (7-inch) (1978)]]

'''(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais''' is a song released on June 16, 1978 by the English punk rock band the Clash with a 7-inch single through CBS Records. The song featured in American version of the band’s debut studio album The Clash between the version of White Riot and London’s Burning. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(White_Man)_In_Hammersmith_Palais (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

=Key Lyrics=
Midnight to six, man

For the first time from Jamaica

Dillinger and a'Leroy Smart

Delroy Wilson, your cool operator

Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae

With backin' bands sound systems

If they got anything to say

There's many black ears here to listen

But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right

Charging from the bass knives to the treble

But onstage they ain't got no roots rock rebel

Onstage they ain't got no...roots rock rebel <ref>[https://genius.com/The-clash-white-man-in-hammersmith-palais-lyrics (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais The Clash]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
The song rails against racism in Britain, as well as violence ailing the streets as concluded in, ''“If Adolf Hitler flew in today / They'd send a limousine anyway.”''<ref>[https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/x-lists/best-protest-songs/ https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/x-lists/best-protest-songs/]. January 20, 2021. ''radiox.co.uk''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref>

''"The audience was really hardcore,"'' he said. ''"I felt they were looking for something different from a showbiz spectacle. It was very Vegas. I was enjoying the show, but I felt like I saw it through their eyes for a minute or two." As the song goes on, Strummer turns his attention toward a British punk scene that was "turning rebellion into money."''

The song was based on the band’s vocalist, Joe Strummer’s experience who attended a reggae with black kids hoping that the concert would be like black punk which was voicing radical and political where the punk band argued that punk and reggae were one in the same thing. <ref>[https://www.punknews.org/review/15863/the-clash-white-man-in-hammersmith-palais-7-inch (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais [7-inch] (1978)]. June 11, 2018. ''punknews.org''. Retrieved February 6, 2021</ref> However, the concert disappointed him, which turned out just pop music and the groups of performance about getting a good spot without using their voices to talk or voice more about political message where Strummer expected that lots of black people talking about racists, fascists, political messages over their songs or lyrics. Throughout this song, the band took the place to deliver all the issues such as racism and fascism of the human races, including Black community. <ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-best-clash-songs-18100/6-white-man-in-hammersmith-palais-17141/ Readers’ Poll: The Best Clash Songs]. August 13, 2013. ''rollingstone.com''. Retrieved January 24, 2021</ref> <ref>[https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/53152/ The Clash – (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais]. ''songmeanings.com''. Retrieved February 6, 2021</ref>

The vocalist had hoped for reggae to be the voice of struggle, this song also addressing and promoting unity between black and white youths, as reflected in the line: ''White youth, black youth'' //
''Better find another solution'' // ''Why not phone up a'Robin Hood'' // ''And ask him for some wealth distribution?''. <ref>[https://genius.com/The-clash-white-man-in-hammersmith-palais-lyrics (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais The Clash]. ''genius.com''. Retrieved February 6, 2021</ref> <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(White_Man)_In_Hammersmith_Palais (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais]. ''wikipedia.org''. Retrieved February 6, 2021</ref> <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6508295.stm White man's blues]. ''news.bbc.co.uk''. March 30, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2021</ref>

=References=

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

I Can’t Breathe by H.E.R (2020)

2021-02-21T02:48:59Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:I Can't Breathe Cover.jpg|thumb|I Can't Breathe Cover]]
'''I Can’t Breathe''' is an R&B song by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.E.R. H.E.R] released on June 19, 2020. The song written by H.E.R, D'Mile and Tiara Thomas and produced by D'Mile, reached #20 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs. I Can’t Breathe received a nomination for Song of the Year at the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/63rd_Annual_Grammy_Awards At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards] marks the singer’s second song to be nominated after "Hard Place" (2020). <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can%27t_Breathe_(H.E.R._song)</ref>

[[File:H.E.R.jpg|thumb||left|H.E.R]]

=Black Empowerment=
The phrase, I can’t breathe has become everyone’s tag line during the movement for Black lives. Referred to the last words of Eric Garner and George Floyd, and 70 other people in their final moments before turning themselves to the police, according to The New York Times. H.E.R asked that we are at the point where a plea for mercy has been met with inhuman justice time after time.

She described her 2020’s single as being ''"very painful and very revealing,"'' during an iHeartRadio performance in June. The topic it addresses for the lack of empathy from cops who killed unarmed black people and those who defend them, yet criticize protesters.

As in the song, corps are ''"desensitized to pulling triggers on innocent lives / Because that's how we got here in the first place,"'' mentioning America’s history of oppression as the root of the violence. <ref>https://www.npr.org/sections/we-insist-a-timeline-of-protest-music-in-2020/2020/09/02/903233585/h-e-r-questions-indifference-to-black-agony-on-i-can-t-breathe</ref>

H.E.R also notes how people tend to forget enrooted racism and social injustice in American history. The phrase I can’t breathe has been chanted amongst protesters to show solidarity for the black community. <ref>https://www.grimygoods.com/2020/06/23/h-e-r-shares-powerful-new-protest-song-i-cant-breathe/</ref>

Part of Lyrics from H.E.R's I Can't Breathe, showing the empathy and support of mass during the movement of Black Lives:

[Verse 1]
''Starting a war, screaming "Peace" at the same time''

''All the corruption, injustice, the same crimes''

''Always a problem if we do or don't fight''

''And we die, we don't have the same right''

''What is a gun to a man that surrenders?''

''What's it gonna take for someone to defend her?''

''If we all agree that we're equal as people''

''Then why can't we see what is evil?''

[Chorus]
''I can't breathe''

''You're taking my life from me''

''I can't breathe''

''Will anyone fight for me?'' <ref>https://genius.com/Her-i-cant-breathe-lyrics#song-info</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

2020 Riots: How Many Times by Trey Songz (2020)

2021-02-21T02:48:15Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:2020 Riots How Many Times Cover.jpg|thumb|2020 Riots: How Many Times Cover]]
2020 Riots : How Many Times is a song released in 2020 by singer Trey Songz from his album Back Home. The song was written by Tremaine Neverson, Troy Oliver and Troy Taylor. <ref>https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/treysongz/2020riotshowmanytimes.html</ref>

[[File:Trey Songz.jpg|thumb||left|Trey Songz]]

=Black Empowerment=
Trey Songz’s new track 2020 Riots: How Many Times is a response to the police brutality and institutionalized racism of the death [https://www.rollingstone.com/t/george-floyd/ George Floyd].

''“Three or four nights ago I woke up in the middle of my sleep…I couldn’t sleep. My chest was hurting. I got up and called my producer, Troy Taylor and I said ‘We’ve got to make music that really touches the soul, that really addresses what the world is feeling right now. Especially our people,'”'' Songz said in a statement. ''“So we came up with ‘2020 Riots: How Many Times.’ With the words in this song I just wanted to speak to everyone’s hearts and acknowledge the pain and anguish everyone is going through right now. I know this ain’t usually my message and you’re not used to hearing this from me, but this is the person I’ve always been.”''

Profits from his new song will benefit [https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Black Lives Matter] and [https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory National Bail Fund Network]. The song became the latest song as a protest anthem following the killing of George Floyd by police. <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/trey-songz-protest-anthem-2020-riots-how-many-times-1010826/</ref>

During the celebration of the Juneteenth holiday, Songz also spoke on the country’s current event and how it affects us in the worst ways.
''“I know a brother, he’s 17 years old, he said he’s tired. I’m twice his age and I’m tired, my grand-daddy was tired before he passed. ...they’re hurting my soul… I can’t sleep sometimes… I’m scared for my son. This could be any one of us, any given day. They’re taking our lives as if they can and keep walking… Keep living their life, go home to their families after they take one of ours. I ain’t going… We not going for that.”'' <ref>https://www.revolt.tv/2020/7/23/21336138/trey-songz-2020-riots-how-many-times-video</ref>

Below is the powerful part of lyrics from Trey Songz's Editing 2020 Riots: How Many Times:

[Intro]

''Hmm''

''I just gotta get some things off my chest''

''Tough times, I hope y'all holdin' up''

''We'll be aight 'cause we always is''

''But I'm feelin' like this''

[Chorus]

''How many mothers have to cry?''

''How many brothers gotta die?''

''How many more times?''

''How many more times?''

''How many more marches?''

''How many more signs?''

''How many more lives?''

''How many more times?'' <ref>https://www.metrolyrics.com/2020-riots-how-many-times-lyrics-trey-songz.html</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

2020 Riots: How Many Times by Trey Songz (2020)

2021-02-21T02:42:42Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:2020 Riots How Many Times Cover.jpg|thumb|2020 Riots: How Many Times Cover]]
2020 Riots : How Many Times is a song released in 2020 by singer Trey Songz from his album Back Home. The song was written by Tremaine Neverson, Troy Oliver and Troy Taylor. <ref>https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/treysongz/2020riotshowmanytimes.html</ref>

[[File:Trey Songz.jpg|thumb||left|Trey Songz]]

=Black Empowerment=
Trey Songz’s new track 2020 Riots: How Many Times is a response to the police brutality and institutionalized racism of the death [https://www.rollingstone.com/t/george-floyd/ George Floyd].

''“Three or four nights ago I woke up in the middle of my sleep…I couldn’t sleep. My chest was hurting. I got up and called my producer, Troy Taylor and I said ‘We’ve got to make music that really touches the soul, that really addresses what the world is feeling right now. Especially our people,'”'' Songz said in a statement. ''“So we came up with ‘2020 Riots: How Many Times.’ With the words in this song I just wanted to speak to everyone’s hearts and acknowledge the pain and anguish everyone is going through right now. I know this ain’t usually my message and you’re not used to hearing this from me, but this is the person I’ve always been.”''

Profits from his new song will benefit [https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Black Lives Matter] and [https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory National Bail Fund Network]. 2020 Riots: How Many Times is the latest song as a protest anthem following the killing of George Floyd by police. <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/trey-songz-protest-anthem-2020-riots-how-many-times-1010826/</ref>

During the celebration of the Juneteenth holiday, Songz also spoke on the country’s current event and how it affects us in the worst ways.
''“I know a brother, he’s 17 years old, he said he’s tired. I’m twice his age and I’m tired, my grand-daddy was tired before he passed. ...they’re hurting my soul… I can’t sleep sometimes… I’m scared for my son. This could be any one of us, any given day. They’re taking our lives as if they can and keep walking… Keep living their life, go home to their families after they take one of ours. I ain’t going… We not going for that.”'' <ref>https://www.revolt.tv/2020/7/23/21336138/trey-songz-2020-riots-how-many-times-video</ref>

Below is the powerful part of lyrics from Trey Songz's Editing 2020 Riots: How Many Times:

[Intro]

''Hmm''

''I just gotta get some things off my chest''

''Tough times, I hope y'all holdin' up''

''We'll be aight 'cause we always is''

''But I'm feelin' like this''

[Chorus]

''How many mothers have to cry?''

''How many brothers gotta die?''

''How many more times?''

''How many more times?''

''How many more marches?''

''How many more signs?''

''How many more lives?''

''How many more times?'' <ref>https://www.metrolyrics.com/2020-riots-how-many-times-lyrics-trey-songz.html</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Island Girl by Elton John (1975)

2021-02-21T02:37:23Z

Fasya: /* Controversy */

[[File:Island Girl Cover.jpg|thumb|Island Girl Cover]]
'''Island Girl''' is a single from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John Elton John’s] album Rock of the Westies, released on 29 September 1975. The rock-disco song was written by John collaborated with Bernie Taupin. Island Girl in its three weeks reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.[1] and number 14 in the UK in 1975. In 1995, the song received certification Gold in 1975 and Platinum i by the RIAA in the U.S.

The lyrics are about a Jamaican prostitute living in New York and Jamaican man who wants to take her back. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Girl</ref>

=Controversy=
Island Girl is considered as an uninspiring reggae tune about Jamaican prostitutes in New York City. <ref>https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elton-john-island-girl/</ref>

According to [https://www.rd.com rd.com] the song considered as a racist one, as the diction used is terrible such in the line ''“Black boy want you in his island world”'', to convey the story about two people who are not white, a Jamaican man who falls in love with a Jamaican transvestite.

Rock critic Robert Christgau noted, ''“The faked-up Caribbean inflections, both oral and instrumental…imply a naive racism belied by the impassive but sage cruelty of the lyric’s conclusion—that is, the ‘inappropriateness’ of the music ultimately elaborates the song’s irony.”''

Adding by Michael E. Cormier who was less diplomatic on the Am I Right website: ''“This song reeks of racism. Kinda makes you wonder if Elton’s lyricist, Bernie Taupin, had any unresolved race issues when he wrote the words to this song.” By the way, this is why you should stop saying “I don’t see color.”'' <ref>https://www.rd.com/list/popular-songs-you-didnt-realize-are-racist/</ref>

Again, the story tells in Island Girl in which about sex worker, a tall Jamaican woman worked at a streetcorner near Times Square. Elton narrator is a john who wants to rescue the girl from her job and take her back to her homeland, yet she is not interested. The chorus in any case : “Island girl, what you wanting with your white man’s world? / Island girl, black boy want you in his island world.”

Island Girl’s general physical description consists in this song: ''“Oh, she’s a big girl, she’s standing six foot three.”'' And also it describes how it feels to have sexual intercourse with a particular island girl: ''“Well, she’s black as coal, but she burn like a fire / And she wrap herself around you like a well-worn tire.”'' <ref>https://www.stereogum.com/2054306/the-number-ones-elton-johns-island-girl/columns/the-number-ones/</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Black Parade by Beyoncé (2020)

2021-02-21T02:11:52Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Black Parade Cover.jpg|thumb|Black Parade Cover]]
'''Black Parade''' is a single released by American singer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9 Beyoncé] on June 19, 20 as well as referred as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth Juneteenth], a day in Texas commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The nonprofit charity single serves as a celebration of Black culture and the support fo Black activism. All the benefit from the singel, impact largely to BeyGOOD's Black Business Impact Fund, which has helped nearly 250 Black-owned small businesses. The R&B song later used in the end credits in Beyoncé's film Black Is King accompanying deluxe edition of he Lion King: The Gift, both released on July 31, 2020. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Parade_(song)</ref>

[[File:Beyoncé.jpg|thumb||left|Beyoncé]]

=Black Empowerment=
Empowerment is the game’s name on Beyoncé's Black Parade. Celebrating the beauty of Blackness on the successful track. The track is also a reminder to strengthen Black voices and support Black-owned businesses.
''“I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle,” the singer wrote on Instagram upon releasing the song. “Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power.”'' <ref>https://www.etonline.com/15-powerful-songs-that-embody-and-support-black-lives-matter-movement-147773</ref>

The singer proudly sings about her hometown, heritage, womanhood and complexion. She also talks about returning to her African ancestry. <ref>https://genius.com/Beyonce-black-parade-lyrics#about</ref>

There is a powerful message in Beyoné's Black Parade. The time from its release was both crucial and deliberate at a time when fans needed it most. Celebration of Blackness, the track debuted in the middle of Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality and racism of George Floyd’s and others’.

The title itself, Black Parade is an allusion of both pride and protest — ''"an empowering anthem that celebrates Black people's history and culture," but one that "doesn't sound like a typical protest song,"'' according to Complex writer Jessica McKinney. <ref>https://www.nickiswift.com/232336/the-real-meaning-of-beyonces-black-parade/</ref>

Beyoncé is not fighting alone for equality. When she earned the 2020 BET Humanitarian Award, Jay Z’s wife addressed fans and the work currently being done by the Black Lives Matter movement.
''“Your voices are being heard and you’re proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain. Now we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power—and that is to vote,” Beyoncé said. “I’m encouraging you to continue to take action, continue to change, and dismantle a racist and unequal system. We have to continue to do this together, continue to fight for each other.”'' <ref>https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/hidden-meaning-behind-beyonces-black-parade-its-symbolic-release-date.html/</ref>

Here is the part of lyrics from Beyoncé's Black Parade:

[Verse 1]
''I'm goin' back to the South''

''I'm goin' back, back, back, back''

''Where my roots ain't watered down''

''Growin', growin' like a Baobab tree''

''Of life on fertile ground, my ancestors put me on game''

''Ankh charm on gold chains, with my Oshun energy, oh''

''Drip all on me, woo, Ankara Dashiki print''

''Hol' up, don't I smell like such a nag champa incense?''

''Yeah, pure ice (Ice), ice (Ice), buss down''

''Uh, flooded (Flooded), flooded (Flooded), on my wrist, out''

''Ooh, goin' up, goin' up, motherland, motherland drip on me''

''Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like''

''Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me''

''Ooh, yeah, I can't forget my history is her-story, yeah''

''Being black, maybe that's the reason why''

''They always mad, yeah, they always mad, yeah''

''Been past 'em, I know that's the reason why''

''They all big mad and they always have been''

[Chorus]

''Honey, come around my way, around my hive''

''Whenever mama say so, mama say''

''Here I come on my throne, sittin' high''

''Follow my parade, oh, my parade''

''Talkin' slick to my folk (My folk), nip that lip like lipo (Lipo)''

''You hear them swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite''

''Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high''

''Follow my parade, oh, my parade'' <ref>https://genius.com/Beyonce-black-parade-lyrics</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Don't Shoot by the Game feat. Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Diddy, Fabolous, Wale, DJ Khaled, Swizz Beatz, Yo Gotti, Currensy, Problem, King Pharaoh and TGT (2014)

2021-02-21T02:08:28Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:1409175690 thegame dontshoot 48.jpg|thumb|Don't Shoot Cover]]
'''Dont’s Shoot''' is a single released on August 27, 2014 in the United States by American rapper [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(rapper) The Game] featuring All all-star teams of hip-hop artists; Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Diddy, Fabolous, Wale, DJ Khaled, Swizz Beatz, Yo Gotti, Curren$y, Problem, King Pharoah and recording group TGT performing the chorus. The song is dedicated to Michael Brown. After its release, a number of songs came out over the shooting of Michael Brown and for the similar incident, this song mentions other black men killed: Emmett Till, Ezell Ford, Trayvon Martin, and Sean Bell. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Shoot</ref>

The single was written by Problem, Yo Gotti, DJ Khaled, King Pharaoh, Ginuwine, Tyrese, Tank, Wale, Curren$y, 2 Chainz, Swizz Beatz, The Game, Rick Ross, Diddy & Fabolous. <ref>https://genius.com/The-game-dont-shoot-lyrics#about</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
Grammy-nominated rapper, The Game collaborating with all all-star teams of hip hop artists released a song as a tribute to Michael Brown who was fatally shot by a white police officer, Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The-18-year-old’s incident happened on August 9, 2014. Protests, marches, and confrontations between citizens and local authorities brought national attention to the story of the song.
In an interview with [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-the-game-rick-ross-diddy-and-more-join-forces-for-ferguson-on-dont-shoot-47162/#ixzz3BhgMVlTZ Rolling Stone] the Game told that the issues in Ferguson hit the artist personally,
''"The issues in Ferguson really hit home for me, and I feel compelled to use my musical platform to address this. I am a black man with kids of my own that I love more than anything, and I cannot fathom a horrific tragedy like Michael Brown's happening to them."'' <ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/08/28/dont-shoot-rappers-game-rick-ross-diddy-2-chainz-michael-brown/14738665/</ref>

The song shows the tradition of being politically active. People's consciousness and awareness raising like New York rap community’s “Self Destruction” 12-inch in 1989 and the West Coast’s 1990 single “We’re All in the Same Gang.” In a show of solidarity, the rappers collaborate to show the solidarity with voices coming from several states. <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-the-game-rick-ross-diddy-and-more-join-forces-for-ferguson-on-dont-shoot-47162/</ref>

''“I managed to get everyone on board fairly easy, simply because we have the hearts,”'' says the Game. ''“We care and are inclined to take a positive approach to resolving an issue that has existed since the beginning of mankind and that is racism and hatred towards one another as human beings."''

Here is the protest in the song's lyrics from the Game's Don't Shoot:

''Yo, come on we gotta stick together, we all we got''

''Police taking shots and I ain't talkin' 'bout Ciroc''

''I'm talking 'bout Emmett Till, I'm talking bout Ezell Ford''

''I'm talking 'bout Sean Bell, they never go to jail for''
''
Trayvon over Skittles, Mike Brown Cigarillos''

''History keeps repeating itself, like a Biggie instrumental''

''America's a glass house and my revenge is mental''

''Rather use my brain than throw a cocktail through a window.'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Marching on Ferguson by Tom Morello (2014)

2021-02-21T02:06:00Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Marching on Ferguson.jpg|thumb|Marching on Ferguson Cover]]
'''Marching on Ferguson''' is a song from the album of the same name by Tom Morello. <ref>http://www.songlyrics.com/tom-morello/marching-on-ferguson-lyrics/</ref> Morello is loud when voicing his voice through politics and music and it is shown in this song. <ref>https://ultimateclassicrock.com/tom-morello-marching-on-ferguson/</ref>

[[File:2014TomMorello Getty.jpg|thumb||left|Tom Morello]]

=Black Empowerment=
Morello wrote the song Marching on Ferguson in response to wake people’s awareness of the chaotic incident in Ferguson, Mo., relating the death of Michael Brown on August 9, an unarmed black teen who was shot with local police. This song is to support the Ferguson October movement, the singer offered the song for free while engaging people to donate and help contribute to defense funds for protestors who got jailed during the demonstrations.

''"100 percent of the profits from 'Marching on Ferguson' will support defending the protesters in the Ferguson area who have faced attacks, wrongful arrest and violence from the police. I've witnessed countless incidents of racially motivated police brutality in my lifetime, and it's time to say 'enough' in the name of all those wrongfully killed and abused, for all the courageous men and women raising their voices against injustice in Ferguson, and beyond, give 'em hell. This song is for you,"'' writes Morello in a statement. <ref>https://ultimateclassicrock.com/tom-morello-marching-on-ferguson/</ref>

He also has mentioned the incident on his Twitter account, he tweeted : ''“Against death penalty but if instituted 4killer cops, corporate criminals &presidents who go to war under false pretense might be deterrent?”'' <ref>https://www.nme.com/news/music/rage-against-the-machine-2-20-1239807</ref>

The rock anthem’s lyrics depicts a paint of the frustration and anger that happened over the past months in the small St. Louis suburb. <ref>https://www.riverfronttimes.com/musicblog/2014/10/16/tom-morellos-new-marching-on-ferguson-protest-song-listen-now</ref>

Check below part of lyrics from Marching on Ferguson :

''No peace and no patience''

''I'm under surveillance''

''Wish I woulda paid less''

''Different glove, same fit''

''I'm marching on Ferguson''

''I'm marching tonight'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Hands Up by Vince Staples (2014)

2021-02-21T01:59:14Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Vince-Staples-Hands-Up-.jpg|thumb|Hands Up Cover]]
'''Hands Up''' is a rap song released on September 8, 2014 by [https://genius.com/artists/Vince-staples Vince Staples] and written by [https://genius.com/artists/No-id No I.D.] & Vince Staples. The song in response to recent problems of abusive authority on civilians of the United States for instance, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, along with DeAngelo Lopez and Tyler Woods in which mentioned in the song. <ref>https://genius.com/Vince-staples-hands-up-lyrics#about</ref>

[[File:Vince Staples.jpg|thumb||left|Vince Staples]]

=Black Empowerment=
"Hands Up, Don't Shoot" became a catch line for protests in Ferguson following MIchael Brown’s death by a white police officer in the Missouri town. Though the song was released a month after the incident, the singer Staples denied that this was about the Ferguson tragedy. He clarified that this is a general response about abusive authority on American civilians. <ref>https://www.songfacts.com/facts/vince-staples/hands-up</ref>

His story about the police brutality and broken system along with his anger, will resonate more broadly. <ref>https://www.thefader.com/2014/09/09/stream-vince-staples-hands</ref>

''"I record when I have something to say,"'' Vince Staples told, In an interview with [https://pitchfork.com Pitchfork].

Hand Up addresses a far more messed up state of nation. ''"North Division tryin' to stop my blackness/ I'm watchin' for them badges when out in traffic," he starts, before mentioning two names of men killed by police last year, DeAngelo Lopez and Tyler Woods, following with his statement: Shoot him first without a warning/ And they expect respect and non-violence/ I refuse the right to be silent."'' <ref>https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/17090-vince-staples-hands-up/</ref>

Check some part of lyrics from Hands UP by Vince
''Just your colour is enough to get you under arrest''

''Strong hand of the law got me feelin' oppressed''

''If you flippin', kill a 50, then you get in a chair''

''Payin' taxes for some f--kin' clowns to ride around'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Black Rage by Lauryn Hill (2014)

2021-02-21T01:52:31Z

Fasya: /* Black Empowerment */

[[File:Black Rage.jpg|thumb|Black Rage]]
'''Black Rage''' is a song performed by American hip hop/R&B soul, Black Rage, released in 2014 as tributes to the incident Ferguson, Mo. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauryn_Hill</ref> <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

[[File:Lauryn Hill.jpg|thumb||left|Lauryn Hill]]

=Black Empowerment=
Inspired by the incident in Ferguson, MO., several artists have released songs dedicating the fatal shooting of Michael Brown (18) and the aftermath. <ref>https://time.com/3154587/ferguson-lauryn-hill-black-rage/</ref>

Lauryn Hill, then, released the song, titled ''Black Rage'' is dedicated to those who fight for racial equality in Ferguson, Missouri. In 2012, Hill had previously performed part of the lyrics, recited, as a poem in her Life Is Good/Black Rage tour with [https://www.rollingstone.com/t/nas/ Nas]. The singer, in a video captured on the Dallas date of the tour, said, ''“Obviously, this is a song about confrontation, right?”''

''“I use the performance platform as an opportunity to express the energy of that moment, and the intention behind it,” she said of the song at the time. “I’ve been a long-standing rebel against the stale, over-commoditization. As artists, we have an opportunity to help the public evolve, raise consciousness and awareness, teach, heal, enlighten and inspire in ways the democratic process may not be able to touch. So we keep it moving.”'' <ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lauryn-hill-dedicates-black-rage-song-to-ferguson-80793/</ref>

Hill also wrote on her Tumblr page talking about “reverse racism” in response to being [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/fugees-star-lauryn-hill-sentenced-three-months-prison-over-unpaid-taxes-8605332.html sent to prison for tax evasion]. <ref>https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/lauryn-hill-dedicates-new-song-black-rage-ferguson-9685624.html</ref>

The lyrics are much more serious than The Sound of Music's My Favorite Things.
Here is the beginning of the song:

''Black rage is founded on two-thirds a person''

''Rapings and beatings and suffering that worsens''

''Black human packages tied up with strings''

''Black rage can come from all these kinds of things''

''Black rage is founded on blatant denial''

''Squeezed economics, subsistence survival''

''Deafening silence and social control''

''Black rage is founded on wounds in the soul.'' <ref>https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6228861/lauryn-hill-ferguson-black-rage-song</ref>

Another part of the lyrics from Lauryn Hill's Black Rage (Sketch):

''Black rage is founded on blocking the truth''

''Murder and crime, compromise and distortion'' <ref>https://www.cbc.ca/music/black-lives-matter-30-powerful-songs-about-police-brutality-anti-black-racism-and-revolution-1.5598202</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]

Let's Face It by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (1997)

2021-02-21T01:48:48Z

Fasya:

[[File:The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.jpg|thumb|he Mighty Mighty Bosstones]]
Let’s Face It is a track from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mighty_Mighty_Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones]’s fifth studio album. The American ska punk’s song was released on March 11, 1997 by Mercury Records and Big Rig Records and re-released on vinyl by Asbestos Records in 2013.

The album sold pretty well because of the success of its single "The Impression That I Get", reached position in number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let%27s_Face_It</ref>

=Black Empowerment=
In an interview with [https://www.washingtonpost.com The Washington Post], the bandleader and songwriter, Dicky Barrett confronts hate ''“Be racist, be sexist, be bigots, be sure: We won’t stand for your hate.”''
''“If you told me 20 years ago, that nothing will change and at some points you’re going to feel like it’s going to get worse, my head would have exploded. I would have said there’s no way.”''

He said that the song was partly inspired by his childhood as a child of the civil rights era and a Boston resident as the city buses desegregated schools.

''“I learned that different was great and that the diversity and individuality of other people was what made them special,” Barrett said. “I wanted to say we’re all human beings. . . . You’re not any better than anybody else for any reason.”'' <ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/08/14/mighty-mighty-bosstones-on-lets-face-it-becoming-an-anti-racism-anthem-20-years-after-its-release/
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7718119/mighty-mighty-bosstones-lets-face-it-anniversary</ref>

Check the part of lyrics from Let's Face It about one's questioning the motivation of racial hatred:

''Why so cut and dry''

''A simple concept missed''

''Give tolerance a try''

''This confusion still exists'' <ref>http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/arts/race_songs.html</ref>

=References=
{{reflist}}
[[Category: Anti-Black Racism in Song Lyrics]]