1. Donald Glover opens “This is America” with traditional African American music with the use of a gospel choir. During slavery, religious music was often created and listened to by slaves who needed sources of hope and positivity. Olaudah Equaino mentioned that his people identified as “a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets,” so it seems appropriate to include a song with African roots in this playlist (Chapter 1). “This is America” is important because it discusses political issues such as guns and prevalent social movements such as Black Lives Matter. For example, Glover raps “Yeah, this is America (woo, ayy) / Guns in my area (word, my area),” to bring attention to the abuse of guns through police brutality on African Americans.
2. In his song “Be Free,” J.Cole opens up about how he felt about hearing about the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer. With the lyrics “All we want do is take these chains off/ All we want do is break the chains of pain / All we want do is be free,” J. Cole expresses how he wants equal rights and freedom in a social manner for African Americans who have been unjustly targeted by the police. J. Cole recognizes that the injustice directed towards black people like himself has been replicated in the homicide of Michael Brown and could have happened to any African American. Similar to Michael Brown, Olaudah Equiano has experienced injustice in the form of slavery and would be interested in fighting against the injustice that African Americans face in the present day. Therefore, it is fitting that a song about injustice towards African Americans is included in this playlist.
3. Kendrick Lamar uses his song “Alright” to express his belief that he will be able to overcome his troubles by trusting in God. The song’s message is optimistic in the sense that it tells its audience that they “gon’ be alright,” but that message is driven by the struggles that African Americans experience due to disproportionate police brutality. This issue is highlighted when Lamar raps that the “po-po / Wanna kill us dead in the street for sure.” The song is important because it sparked chants of “we gon’ be alright” from Black Lives Matter activists in protest of the many black people killed by police. Considering how “Alright” acts as a source of positivity for African Americans and brings attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, it deserves a spot in this playlist for Olaudah Equiano.
4. Common and John Legend rap and sang “Common” for Selma, which is a film centered around the Civil Rights era, but it remains just as important today. Across the song, Common and John Legend connect different civil rights events with each other and explain how they are all representations of the African American struggle for justice. Common raps “ That’s why Rosa sat on the bus / That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up / When it go down, we woman and man up / They say ‘Stay Down’ and we stand up” to remind his listeners of the heroes that put their lives on the line in the name of justice. When they mention “glory” across their song, Common and John Legend refer to the glory of black people being treated equally all over the United States. Olaudah Equiano advocated for the abolition of slavery and equal rights for African Americans, so it seems only fitting that a song about equal justice and rights for African Americans is included in this playlist.
5. In their song “White Privilege II” featuring Jamila Woods, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis address their white privilege after the death of Michael Brown and acquittal of his murderer Darren Wilson. They question what kind of person they want to be, how they want to use their platform, and how they can resist their white privilege. For example, they rap “You speak about equality, but do you really mean it?/Are you marching for freedom, or when it’s convenient?” to raise discussions on how white people can help the Black Lives Matter Movement. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis recognize that being silent about the injustice that African Americans face is easy, but they have chosen to use their platform to promote equal rights and justice for African Americans. Considering how Olaudah Equiano had a similar goal in mind when he wrote his autobiography, it is appropriate that this song has a place on this playlist.
6. In their song “The Charade,” D’Angelo and the band The Vanguard discuss the state of black people in America and how many people wrongly believe that they have already achieved equal status in America. Their song touches on many important themes related to the African American community such as systemic racism and police brutality. Although black people are equal by law, D’Angelo recognizes that black people are still perceived with a negative stigma when he mentions how they are “relegated to savages bound by the way of the deceivers.” D’Angelo uses this song both to rally fellow African Americans in fighting the oppressive system as well as to encourage discussion on the discriminiation faced by black people. As the song addresses discrimination and oppression against African American people, it makes sense that this song is a part of this playlist for Olaudah Equiano.
7. Beyonce and Kendrick collaborate together for this song “Freedom” to highlight the struggles that all African Americans face and the strengths that they uniquely possess. While Beyonce’s verse calls for female African American empowerment, Kendrick Lamar’s verse centers around the challenges that African American men face like racial profiling and possible murder from police brutality. For example Lamar gives an example of racial profiling when he raps that the police is “askin’ me what’s in my possession,” referencing when the police stop black people to question and search them wtihout any evidence that they may be involved with wrongdoing. Together, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar call for black people to seek freedom and believe in themselves. Considering how “Freedom” promotes Black Power and brings attention to the racism that African Americans face, it is fitting that the song deserves a spot on this playlist for Olaudah Equiano.