Lyrics:
Freedom! Freedom! I can't move
Freedom, cut me loose!
Freedom! Freedom! Where are you?
Cause I need freedom too!
I break chains all by myself
Won't let my freedom rot in hell
Hey! I'ma keep running
Cause a winner don't quit on themselves
[Verse 2: Beyoncé]
I'ma wade, I'ma wave through the waters
Tell the tide, "Don't move"
I'ma riot, I'ma riot through your borders
Call me bulletproof
Lord forgive me, I've been runnin'
Runnin' blind in truth
I'ma wade, I'ma wave through your shallow love
Tell the deep I'm new
In 2016, when Beyonce's album Lemonade hit the charts, a song was released titled Freedom. Along with the song; and in the wake of the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Beyonce issued a statement saying,
“It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they ‘stop killing us. We don’t need sympathy. We need everyone to respect our lives. We’re going to stand up as a community and fight against anyone who believes that murder or any violent action by those who are sworn to protect us should consistently go unpunished. This is not a plea to all police officers but toward any human being who fails to value life. The war on people of color and all minorities needs to be over."
As such an influential role model to many it is so important that Beyonce took a stand and spread this message via her music and through her platform. This relates back to the 1992 LA Riots because, police brutality is still happening and black people in positions of power and having to take a stand and secure call to actions just like in those times with NWA, and other notable rappers. In addition, I think the use of music to put forth a message has always been a way to get through to people both then and now. She was an influential activist in the Black Lives Matter movement and continues to fight for human rights and be an integral part of black communities.
The lyrics to the song Freedom describe racism in America dating all the way back to slavery in Kendrick Lamar's verse. The main message in this song is "We will overcome and we will get through this. Freedom is within reach, with solidarity." It encourages action against police brutality much like the LA Riots. It has become an anthem exclusively for the black community and for their struggles.
-Esmeralda Reyes
No comments:
Post a Comment