I’ve been thinking about #handsupdontshoot – which became #blacklivesmatter, was joined by #icantbreathe and proceeded by #iamtrayvonmartin.
How it’s been more and bigger than anyone could ever expected.
How many people thought it would die out as the weather turned from summer breezes to autumn rainfalls and now to a snowy winter.
How many black folk were so quick to discount the movement. How the older generation who labeled millennials lazy, ungrateful and too focused on instant gratification, have to make room for us.
How on any given day on Twitter, there is usually a conversation about the lack support from black women despite being at the forefront of each individual and collective movements.
Enter, ironically of all artists – Beyonce.
If there’s one thing that we as a community always appreciate – it’s a proper soundtrack for our movements. A movement that started in a small town in Missouri and has spread around the world. Music has long provided us a way of channelling our passion, our rage, our anger. The civil rights movements in the 60’s had innumerable artists that contributed to that story.
It hit me that the lyrics to Superpower are perfect for tying everything about the current operations to unite and force change.
When the palm of my two hands, hold each other
That feels different – from when your hands are in mine.
And when my voice is screaming out, to my own ear
That feels different – from when I hear yours
And I thought the world would revolve
Without us, without us, without us
Cause nothing I know can break us down
They can’t break us down
And just like you I can’t be scared
And just like you I hope I’m spared
I know you feel it in the air
Even the babies know it’s there
The standoff against the police/military in the video was eerie foreshadowing to the images that we’ve seen for the past 4 months. Life has shown to be stranger than fiction. The violent riots in the video are what some folks would like to believe that’s what’s happening. Or all that we are capable of.
(Super power)
A subtle power
(Super power)
A tough love
(Super power)
A subtle power. #blackoutblackfriday
But nothing I know could slow us down
They couldn’t slow us down
I thought I could live without you
But together we’ve got plenty power
Couldn’t break us down.
Exactly.
-Amy
