Black Lives Matter. Artists STAN together to create for Black Lives
During the past few months of quarantine there has been an uprise in police brutality and senseless deaths. Victims such as Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery has heavily impacted millions of people not only in the United States but around the World. Black Lives Matter is no longer a hashtag people use to spread awareness of the cause but now is a GLOBAL movement that has influenced the lives of many.
As the Civil Rights Movement 2020 strengthens its way through media, music, fashion and culture various artists has also taken a stand in the movement and in fact contributed in strengthening the influence. Lady Gaga addresses The Class of 2020 with a powerful commencement speech focusing on the importance of growth and self reflection in these trying times. In her speech she further explained how she viewed the world as a forest, saying:
“I imagine a broad forest filled densely with tall trees, trees as old as this country itself, trees that were planted with racist seeds. Trees that grew prejudice branches and oppressive leaves and mangled roots that buried and entrenched themselves deep within the soil, forming a web so well-developed and so entangled that pushes back when we try to look clearly at how it really works.” and further explains how the new generation can change it ,”You are the seeds that will grow into a new and different forest that is far more beautiful and loving than the one we live in today. I believe the path forward to eradicating the blight of racism relies on three principles, which form my faith and my perspective on nature and what I believe humanity needs to thrive.”
Watch Lady Gaga’s Class of 2020 commencement speech
Following the sector of music rappers Papoose and Dr. Dre along with other artists express their stance on the movement. In multiple music videos each artist expresses their presence and relation to the victims of Police brutality. Some express pain, others send their condolences to the families that lost their loved ones. Others show live footage of past and present Police Brutality as they connect the oppression they have endured in their own lives. As reported, the follow playlist hit main stream :
Terrace Martin f/ Denzel Curry, Kamasi Washington, G Perico, and Daylyt, "Pig Feet"
Conway the Machine, “Front Lines”
Dre, “Captured on a iPhone”
LL Cool J, IG Freestyle
Papoose, “Tribute”
Nick Cannon, "I Can't Breathe... Again!"
Jim Jones, “The People”
Trey Songz, “2020 Riots: How Many Times"
Elijah Blake f/ Donald Lawrence & Co., "Hanging Tree (2020 Stripped)"
In honoring black culture it’s history, we now will see the point of view of black woman. A woman of Nigerian ethnic background writer and director, Oge Egbuonu, curates a documentary feature, (In)Visible Portraits in which highlights the hurt, resilience and beauty of Black women in America and aims to reclaim their voices. All in the eyes of them and only them. A new refreshing way of highlighting what needs to be during our current Civil Rights Movement. Egbuoniu states “The title plays on how our society has erased the Black woman’s contribution, yet it was built on the backs of Black women.” As we continue to elaborate on the overall concept of the film she says, “This idea, this erasure of all the work that Black women do, I want to give voice to that.” The documentary (In)Visible Portraits, which Egbuonu calls her “love letter to Black women,” features the stories of Black scholars, Black girls and Black mothers like Helen Jones. In these times, our voices throughout every outlet needs to be heard. Our stories need to be retold. Our movement will be contributed and immersed in the new generation, we have seen enough, silence is no longer an option. The time is now.
Cover Image by Nick Cannon
- Reported by Kayla Rolon