Black Political Opinion
Jill Scott's National Anthem, "Not the land of the free but home of the slave"
Jill Scott's performance of her own remixed version of the National Anthem at the 2023 Essence Festival has sparked a bit of controversy.
Jill Scott’s remixed national anthem goes viral after performance at Essence Festival
The lyrics of her version, which she wrote as a teenager, are a biting critique of racial inequality in America. They include lines such as “Oh say, can you see, by the blood in the streets,” -"This place doesn't smile on you colored child" and " We'll die in this place and your memory erased."- This is not the land of the free but the home of the slave."
WATCH JILL SCOTT’S PERFORMANCE HERE
In the end, Scott's performance was met with a mixed response. Some called it a "powerful and necessary" reminder of the challenges that still face America, while others found it to be offensive and disrespectful in light of the July 4th holiday.
Opinion: Despite what politicians, the media, and the lyrics to Jill Scott’s song would have you believe, I as a black woman, am not oppressed, nor am I a slave. I have the same rights and opportunities as anyone else in this country. I can vote, I can own property, and I can go to school.
For example, I’ve been a certified nurse assistant, pharmacy tech, registered nurse, licensed realtor, a television and radio producer/host, and a journalist.
Through hard work and determination, I have achieved every goal I set out to. I am not a victim, and I am not oppressed.
However, that doesn't mean that I haven’t experienced racism. But racism is not just experienced by Black people. All groups can experience racism, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
While anti-black racism still exists, it is no longer the defining characteristic of black people's lives in America.
We are free to be ourselves, and to express our culture and our heritage. We are free to achieve our dreams, and to make a difference in the world.
We have come a long way since slavery and Jim Crow, but sure, there is room for growth and improvement. We must continue to build our own communities. We must support Black-owned businesses. We must invest in our own communities.
Jill Scott has a powerful voice and a commanding performance, however, it’s a little too rich that her net worth is an estimated $12 million as she sings about oppression in this country.
Please note this Substack is now dedicated to sharing Black Political Opinion. If you are triggered please feel free to unsubscribe. If you support please follow on Twitter @MsBlackPolitics and @MsLashaunTurner
Black Political Opinion is a multi-part opinion-editorial series that will look at various political topics, news, and views that impact the black community. (Disclaimer: Lashaun is a Black female, conservative leaning Independent, who (REGRETTABLY)voted for Biden in 2020).
Read More Black Political Opinion:
Black Political Opinion: What have Democrats done for Blacks? Ice Cube says "nothing has changed"
Black Political Opinion: NAACP travel warning for Florida, but not Chicago?
Black Political Opinion: Blacks are getting played not paid. Read Newsom's statement on reparations
Black Political Opinion: Jordan Neely- a life cut short by Daniel Penny, not racism
I respectfully disagree with your opinion on this matter. Racial inequality is still pervasive in many black people’s lives in today’s America. Here are a few examples for me having this point of view but certainly only offers a minimal amount of the mirage of racial discrimination against black Americans. Why did a black couple receive a lower valuation of their home in comparison to having a set of their white friends act as if it were their home and they got a much higher valuation. A young black gentleman was threatened with jail at a Minneapolis airport for so called stealing his own baggage that contained a ticket inside with his name on it. It wasn’t until a white woman stepped forward to tell the police officer it was indeed the gentleman’s baggage. No matter how much the black gentleman tried to inform the police officer that it was his baggage it didn’t matter. It was only until the white witness came forward to make the officer leave the black gentleman alone. I could go on and on about examples of racial discrimination against black people. So to say that racial discrimination in this country doesn’t exist is not reality.
Is appealing to unreasonable people to do reasonable things a strategy?
07/21/23