Regardless of what you see on TV, the collective consciousness of America is pretty fucked up right now. Hundreds of thousands of people across the nation are in the streets as you read this, after two grand juries decided against indictments for police officers in the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, two of the most high-profile cases in the escalating climate of abuse of power by those with a badge and a gun.
Pearl Jam: Ten Unforgettable Protest-Song Covers
Engaging in the power of protest can mean more than taking to the streets and clogging up social media, however. A vast number of musicians have shared their thoughts about the cases, police aggression and the resonating racial disparity that still exists within law enforcement. Iconic Roots drummer Questlove offered a powerful statement on Thursday, tweeting, “I’m ashamed. Mostly because I’m no longer shocked at things now-a-days. Nothing is shocking.”
He followed the sentiment today with an Instagram post employing Public Enemy’s iconic logo of a black man in the crosshairs of a gun, along with a call to action for protest music within the artistic community.
“I know that many see what happened to Dixie Chicks’ #NatalieMaines @mainesmusic (she bravely expressed her opinion/dismay on the Bush administration declaring war & was unjustly targeted….while in hindsight being CORRECT) suddenly there was an onslaught of radio silence from artists across the board (correction not everyone was silent, but the silence was deafening),” the beloved drummer wrote.
Sharing the sentiment that his “soul is aching,” Q references the protest-song luminaries of the past while imploring the current wave of top-level artists to follow in their path, including Bob Dylan, Public Enemy, N.W.A., Rage Against the Machine and Nina Simone. Read his entire message below.
