So Much More Than A Preformance

             After viewing Nina Simone's piece "Mississippi Goddamn" live, I realized that it was so much more than just a performance. The powerful tone Simone brings, simply tells you the mood of the piece, you don't even have to interpret the words. One shocking detail I recall was Nina Simone's daughter saying that her mothers voice changed during the live performance we watched, and never went back. This change was caused by all the emotions built up inside her, pouring into her performance of "Mississippi Goddamn". This was Simone's way of releasing the frustration stressed in different parts of her life. This song was written shortly after a bombing that killed a 4 young girls in Alabama. Nina Simone mentions this before one of her performances, and the performance we watched in class was in memory of MLK. Simone described the Kings death as numbing, causing more emotion thrown into the mix of her singing. There is a salute to Malcom X within her song, no longer wanting to be all peaceful since it was leading to no outcomes. This piece is direct and demanding for equal rights and to put a stop to this madness happening against African Americans. The message of this song says to me, if everyone knows what terrible events are happening in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi, then why are they still happening? Why are people turning the other cheek when it comes to these horrors. People would rather be unbothered, because of the sadness it brings. "I think every day's gonna be my last", this quote stands out to me in this song because what a terrible worry this must be on every day life. I cant imagine thinking I might die every day. 

        We also listened to "Strange Fruit", performed by Billie Holiday. This song had a depressed mood brought upon the reader, to match the depressing actions happening to African Americans. I can't fathom the fact that bodies would hang from the trees, and how lynching would happen so often. It was discussed in class that gun violence against African Americans/ police cruelty is the modern day lynching. This was so interesting because I have never thought of that, but now I agree with this.

This violence never disappeared just changed with the times.