I'm not racist

          Everyday in class I feel as though my eyes get more opened to past and current events. The short essays we will do at the end of every unit are a very interesting aspect to the class. Its intersting that we get to pick a song and artist of choice and relate what we were learning about in class to current events of our world. It was really interesting to see everyones take on this and the current songs they chose to relate to our African-American unit.

          I liked to be able to get an insight not only into peoples preferences of music but how to look deeper into and understand it as well. While presenting in class we heard everything from rap and hip-hop, to blues. All of these songs related to the unit we were studying and also all had their own standpoint of a current issue of America. In the song "Im not racist" by Joyner Lucas we get a look into racial discrimination from the view of a caucasian man and an African American man. This song stood out to me the most in our discussion because i feel like it speaks the most to the issues in modern day America. The song starts off from the caucasian man's point of view, and he is sitting there dissing black culture by saying that they act as though they were the ones picking cotton and out in the fields insinuating that it doesn't affect them now. He goes on to say how blacks need to claim their kids, how whites pay taxes to support their lives because they don't wanna get jobs, an that African Americans don't have anyone else to blame for their issues so they blame whites. After completely dissing their culture he goes on to say but "I'm not racist, my sister's boyfriend's black I'm not racist, my sister-in-law's baby cousin Tracy Got a brother and his girlfriend's black." Meaning that even though he is saying all of these horrible things, because he knows a couple black people, it makes it ok and makes him not racist. At the end of the caucasian male going on about his issues with african american culture and society he says that he knows there are two sides to every story and wishes he could know his(the african american male). Him saying this shows some light and hope between the two races for potential understanding

          After the caucasian males spiel it transfer over to the African American males point of view. He talks about the situation from his point of view and how everything he tries to do it feels like someone is pushing against him. He says "With all disrespect I don't really like you white motherfuckers, that's just where I'm at Screaming "All Lives Matter" Is a protest to my protest, what kind of shit is that?" Meaning that they already are struggling and that they feel like the "all lives matter" protest is whites going against African Americans "black lives matter" protest. African Americans are just trying to stick up for their lives because they're history still sticks with them today. They get judged by the color of their skin and don't even feel safe driving because they feel like cops are always trying to start something.

         Both of the ends of the verses both men say that they feel like there is a disconnect between their two races and that they could switch lives for a day so they could both see what its like to live in the others skin. This song stuck out to me the most because i like how it shows a back and forth between a caucasian  and african american man. Its a very powerful song with an even more powerful meaning or equality behind it. I feel like these short essays will be a very interesting way to end each topic in class because it allows us to connect something we learned about in class with a modern day issue through music.