Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud (1968)

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Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" is a funk song performed by James Brown and written with his bandleader Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis in 1968. The first part of the song was arranged by Belford "Sinky" Hendricks. It was released as a two-part single which held the number-one spot on the R&B singles chart for six weeks, and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. Both parts of the single were later included on James Brown's 1968 album A Soulful Christmas and on his 1969 album sharing the title of the song. The song became an unofficial anthem of the Black Power movement. [1]

Key Lyrics

Now we demand a chance to do things for ourserlf

We're tired of beatin' our head against the wall

And workin' for someone else


We're people, we're just like the birds and the bees

We'd rather die on our feet

Than be livin' on our knees

Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud

Black Empowerment

In the song, Brown addresses the prejudice towards blacks in America, and the need for black empowerment. He proclaims that "we demands a chance to do things for ourself/we're tired of beating our head against the wall/and workin' for someone else". The song's call-and-response chorus is performed by a group of young children, who respond to Brown's command of "Say it loud" with "I'm black and I'm proud!"[2] The song was recorded in a Los Angeles area suburb with about 30 young people from the Watts and Compton areas.[3]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" in their 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2004 it was ranked number 305 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It inspired the title of a VH1 television special and box set, Say It Loud! A Celebration of Black Music in America.[4]

Reference