Racism Fought Through Music

This week in class we talked a lot about how many artists have a political message in some of their songs, many of which talk about racism within the US. This has been a trend all throughout history ever since there were slaves singing about wanting freedom. Now, people are still singing about the need for equal rights for black people. Though music is mostly used for entertainment, artists use it in such a powerful way to get their points across and try to make a change in a positive way. This was a big aspect in today's class when everyone was discussing which songs they chose for their short essays and how these songs have an impact in society.

When looking for a song to choose to write about, I found that there are hundreds of songs by artists trying to fight for what is right. This is an incredible way to unify the people of the US and educate them, so they can help fight these causes too. A main message that was said in these songs was about black rights and how they are not getting the respect that they deserve. I definitely agree with this because there have been a number of instances where black people are not getting treated the same as white people. For example, in the song "Brackets" by J. Cole that I researched, he touches upon the fact that black people are mainly learning about white history in school. It's true that there is a Black History month, but does that really compare to the rest of the year that mostly appreciates the white men and women throughout history? The government is behind this as well as taking so much from taxes and doing what they please with it. They claim it's for specific purposes like schools and such, but none of what they say the money is used for is getting improved. Curriculums in too many schools are still horrible and teachers are still being completely underpaid.

Without music, those who do not necessarily watch the news or read the paper would not be so aware to problems like these. Not only does it make society aware of these problems, but it gives artist an outlet for their anger and sing about the issues that are truly bothering them. I think without music, there might not be as much peace and many people would resort to violence in order to get their messages across to the public. However, people can still get in trouble for the music they make, like in the clip we watched from "Straight Outta Compton" and the NWA got arrested for performing their song "F**k the Police." Regardless of the outcome, everyone has the ability to get their messages and ideas out through song.