Every day I get on Instagram or read through Google News and I see a new story about the oppression of the colored race. It has become a social norm throughout history and to me, that is the real tragedy. It saddens me, and I can’t imagine how watching these occurrences every day doesn’t sadden us all. I find that through music, I am encouraged to look beyond the stress and inspired to carry on. That’s the power of music and the power of black music speaks specifically to our strife.
1. James Brown – Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud
One of the most significant songs in the Black community, Brown composed this number to strengthen black pride in America during the 1960’s – it became an anthem for the black power movement. The call-and-response style of the song was a fixture in many of Brown’s music and further enforced the idea of black pride. He recorded it live with a group of children from the Los Angeles area. And although Brown admits that the song cost him a lot of his crossover audience due to its seemingly militant concept, he knew that it was necessary to teach black pride. “I don’t regret it, though, even if it was misunderstood," Brown explained.
2. Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Despite all the bad times, with God on his side, Lamar roars that he will be alright. It reminds many black people of the tribulations that they face daily and many, myself included, identify with the uplifting chanting of ‘we gon be alright!’ Lamar was inspired by his time in South Africa and the hardships that he watched the population endured. “That was the moment I knew, OK, I could either pimp this situation or fall victim o it. That was a turning point,” Lamar explained. The song has been repurposed and used in several protests against police brutality across the United States – the song has even been informally considered a modern Black National Anthem.
3. Solange – F.U.B.U
Solange entitled this black-empowerment anthem after FUBU, and we all remember FUBU as the black community fully embraced the brand. “I named it ‘F.U.B.U.’ because I wanted to empower, and I looked to people who have done that in their own ways. I thought of the FUBU the brand, meaning ‘For Us By Us,’ and how normalized it became to wear that kind of symbolism every day,” Solange explained. The song was specifically for ‘us’ because it depicted situations that black people or any people of color endure every day while giving the motivation to continue on.
4. Childish Gambino – This is America
This politically-charged anthem addresses the police brutality, gun violence, and racism that continues to ravage America in 2018. The strong images of the music video helped to solidify the song’s place in the hearts of those who oppose the injustices that we face today, not just as a race but as a country.
5. Bob Marley – Get Up, Stand Up
Although Marley was singing about his upbringing in Jamaica where he had to fight for respect and acceptance for his Rastafarian religion, the song speaks of taking action to avoid oppression. Marley felt that finding one’s worth in life on Earth would help give the strength to rise and rebel against injustices. And the injustices of today won’t be solved or made right unless we stand up for our rights.
6. Nas – I Can
At the request of his mom, Nas wrote this song to promote children’s belief in themselves. Not only does the song encourage children to believe that they can do anything in the world, it also gives a history lesson about the strength of those before them and warns them of the damage of drugs. In a way, it was as though Nas undermined the negative notions that society provided for black kids and replaced them with positive self-images. The song was played during countless graduations and its inspirational lyrics still help me get through tougher times.
7. Buddy, A$AP Ferg – BLACK
This song is a celebration of blackness in the face of discrimination and oppression. The anthem speaks of Trayvon Martin and Huey P. Newton as heroes and promotes self-love when speaking about the physical characteristics that make them black but proud. The chanting of the word ‘black’ solidifies the idea of being black and proud that James Brown screamed in the 60s. With this modern twist, the idea of black pride is back and can usher the new generation into the same kind of change we’ve seen in the past.
8. Common, John Legend – Glory
The motivational ballad was recorded for the film Selma. It resonates with the film, which recounts the three 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, and current social unrest – the fact that it can resonate through # years is part of the problem, I’d say. “This is not only paying honor to those who lived in these times during the ‘60s, but also really relevant to today,” Common explained, “So I really was thinking about encouraging people that we’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got some fighting to do, and we are capable. We’ve got to carry this torch and take it to the next level.”
9. Wale – Cassius (Excellency)
An anthem of excellence that starts off with the boastful Muhammad Ali, Wale intricately raps about how it feels to be a black man in a country that sees him as less than. It also defends an idea that having black pride means a hate for the white race, all while addressing the discrimination and oppression that we still face. “Pro-black isn’t anti-white/But how we act like we don’t see no tiki torches at night.”
10. Stevie Wonder – Black Man
Stevie Wonder had many songs that referenced his desire for equality and disdain for the oppression and discrimination of the black race (i.e. “Living for the City”, “Misrepresented People”), but “Black Man” was written about Wonder’s desire for worldwide interracial harmony. The song criticized racism and used color-based terminology (i.e. black, red, yellow, white, and brown men) to explain how we all belong in America and should be treated equally. We all have achieved accomplishments for the progress of this country – a country that is a melting pot of many races who deserve the credit that they are due. And at the end of the song, in call-and-response style, children answer questions about the key players of America’s history and their respective races.
