Jill Scott Performs Powerful Rendition of Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit'

Today, as I laid in my bed reflecting on my day at work,  a link on my computer about one of my favorite singers and actresses, Jill Scott, performing Strange Fruit popped up. I instantly clicked on the link because two of my favorite things were in one place, with one sound, and one strong performance and that is Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit and of course Jill Scott.  Before Jill performed her rendition of the song, the audience was greeted by wise words spoken by the timeless Morgan Freeman. Words spoken so thoroughly that even if your eyes weren't open to the problems plaguing the black community, your ears definitely were. Freeman's words did not sugar coat the truth or did they try to refrain from making one feel any negative emotion. It was intended to make you feel aware, now if your awareness makes you feel sad, angry, upset, bothered, or etc. I guess we can settle for that as well, but the fact of the matter is he spoke a truth, a truth in a tone that was so dark, so truthful, so still that the light in the message itself could illuminate the room. Freeman said "The images that we see all too often, on the news, are haunting, and haunt us they should; as vivid reminders that we have not come as far as we like to imagine".

 This happens within the same few days of the video of the Black Chicago teenager, Laquan McDonald being shot 16 times by Chicago Police Officer was released. This is the same video that they tried to keep a secret, that people said the boy was probably in the wrong and deserved it. This is the same video that brings fear and anger into the eyes of any one who watches it. Fear that are children will never be more that a skin color that is not wanted, the fear that it may one day be the image or video of one of our children who's body lays out on the cold ground as life slips from its grips. As his body hit the ground in the video and his body jerks, I think of the pain his family will never be able to forget. The snatching of a life that his fellow brothers experienced decades ago in lynch crimes. Crimes against those who skin color was deemed inappropriate and whose body burned and hung fighting the wind through the night into the morning sun. it  combined with Jill Scott's chilling performance left goosebumps on my body. 

"Strange Fruits", originally started as a poem by a white Jewish poet by the name of Abel Meeropol,  but once Billie Holiday got her hands onto it, the master piece had yet another greater purpose. Decades later, and it is still one of the most powerful, Black movement songs to date. A song about pain, struggle, and the reality of so many people in the 20th century. Women, Men and Children lives taken from them, and left to be stripped of their pride, and lives to be just bodies with untold stories that never will be completed, just bodies swinging from trees for the amusement of cowards.

Jill Scott along with other popular artist such as Pharell Williams, Ed Sheeran, Jamie Foxx, Pink Alicia Keys, John Legend, Miguel, and a few more great artist performed to address and bring awareness to racial inequality. The racial inequity that plagues America. The racial inequality that forces parents to teach their children that their lives are precious but could end in any moment simply for the melanin tied into their bodies. I rented a book in my sophomore year of college at Clark Atlanta University called Lynching in America, I needed the book to do a research paper on laws and codes such as slave codes, Jim crow and any others that Black men and women were forced to accept during any period of time within the U.S., not forgetting to mention Black incarceration rates  and methods of punishment for Black people in the 19th and 20th Century, as well as in the present day. I then stumbled upon a book called The New Jim Crow, which was authored by the brilliant Michelle Alexander and she describes the way the system has been fixed to redesign racial caste systems in America.  This book made me question if the "system" would ever be able to be fixed. A question, that still goes unanswered. Just another question drifting into the breeze, just another body lost to violence, just another person lost to racial inequality... 

There is so much one could say, and only a small piece of the pie would be tasted. These issues happening within one community is devastatingly painful but doesn't prevent the issues from being none the less real.  

Straight Outta Compton: Reaction

Straight Outta Compton Reaction: Original Posted months ago

With tantalizing, and informative rhymes that ripped the streets of the West coast - N.W.A 

gave a new  sound to the world of Hip Hop. Plaguing the world with lyrics that highlighted the police brutality and the perplexities of impoverished lifestyles associated with living within the hoods of Compton, that eventually began spreading relateable information through their lyrics that people from the west to the east coast could identify with, bringing about a 

form of solidarity and unity amongst all street gangs.

Straight Outta Compton was extremely good. From the cinematography to the directing to the acting. Quite honestly I haven't seen a biopic this good since well, Whats Love Got to Do with it! Initially I thought it would be like another bad biopic but I still wanted to support the film because we need more back representation on television, on stage, in the box office, in the stores etc. Black Talent has been undermined and under appreciated for way too long, and it was great too see so many talented people in a film that hit major national numbers. The popularity of the film and the amount of people it brought it It reminded me of what it may have been like to go to the movies in the 80's and 90's when Black Classics such as Boyz in the Hood, the Friday Franchise, Don't Be A Menance, Set it Off etc. came out. Huge Shout out to F. Gary Gary and his creative directing skills that brought those and so many other amazing films to life. 

Back to Straight Outta Compton: From the very beginning of the movie the comedic side of the film was introduced, when Ice Cube (Played by his son O'Shea Jackson Jr.) made a joke about the gang member who got on the bus and gave them a motivational speech about not getting involved with gang banging; the jokes were uphill from there. The story of NWA was not only exciting but uplifting. When the movie premiered movie theatres were upping their police security and I was so confused as to why until the movie released. The movie released at a time when a lot of police brutality and injustice toward the black community was making headlines throughout the world, still is till this day. Not only did people become angered but people realized that fighting for something bigger than yourself is important. why shouldn't we fight for those black little boys and girls who will be subjected to police brutality sometime in their lives, why shouldn't we be upset about how our brothers and sisters are being killed left and right to the violence of police brutality, hate crimes and gang rivalry? You may think Straight Outta Compton is a film that only insinuates hate but it doesn't. It doesn't leave cops out to dry for their crappy behavior, it pulls in gang members as well. Easy-E's story portrayed by Jason Mitchell  had to be the most touching, from comedic to tough to vulnerable to serious to dying, this is one of the only actors throughout the film that made me believe every ounce of this performance . He not only made the audience laugh and cry but he inspired many of the audience members to learn to apologize and be man/ woman enough to admit you are wrong. Once again, I won't say all of my opinion on this matter simply because I want everyone to see it and it give their opinions about it. Lets just say, the movie of the year award would go to this movie here. Hands down!