TRACKLIST1. Paul Robeson - "Ballad for Americans"
2. Watkins/Peacock - "Zero Dub I"
3. Anti-Heroes - "Unknown"
4. Special Interest - "The State, the Industry, the Community & Her Lover"
5. The Ire - "Torch Song"
6. Lover Boy - "Charisma"
7. Black Noi$e - "Natural Technology"
8. Madison McFerrin - "Stay TF Inside"
9. LaAerial - "Back To Life"
10. ELUCID - "Osage"
11. Fehler Kuti - "Schland Is The Place For Me"
LISTEN ON MIXCLOUD
LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS
NOTES
Today's episode begins with an excerpt from a song called "Ballad for Americans". It was performed by Paul Robeson with a choir that was trained to sing in his deep bass baritone range.
Robeson was a black singer, actor, writer, and activist whose work in the entertainment industry was known all over the country throughout the 20s, 30s, and 40s; his voice was instantly recognizable and sang on over 200 songs throughout his career.
Some of his best known recordings were reinterpretations of old folk standards, as well as more patriotic fare such as the aforementioned track. The song is a somewhat long narrative about American exceptionalism, praising things like the American Revolution and the freeing of American slaves - moments which bring the listener to the all-too-pleasant American present, where everyone is created equal and treated as such. The song basically makes the state of things at the time sound straight idyllic. Even for black men. Except they weren't.
For all of the support Robeson received as a high-profile entertainer, the second he began engaging in radical politics (particularly anti-imperialism and anti-fascism), he lost all of his support from Hollywood, as well as his country. He was blacklisted for his support of things like Communism and the loyalist movement during Spain's second civil war, as well as for speaking out about the injustices that were still very much present in the lives of Black people. Had he continued to be a harmless Black entertainer for the majority-white audiences writing his checks, things may have been different. But he didn't, and they weren't, and I played a selection from "Ballad for Americans" because we're currently at the peak of a new revelation in this country: contrary to popular belief (which is widely supported by generations of propaganda), the institution of police is not a benevolent organization whose mission serves the best interests of the American people. Many people in this country would like to think otherwise, and perhaps its easier for them to live with this assumption, but it would not be accurate. On top of that, it would be an exercise of privilege to remain deluded about the role of police in our society.
For decades, police have terrorized communities of color - poor ones especially - as the feeding arm of the prison industrial complex. For readers who don't know what the prison industrial complex is, here's a quick breakdown: governments take away everything that makes communities thrive: economic opportunities, education, healthcare, mental health services, they keep wages down and raise costs of living, and so this forces communities to survive by other means - often turning to things like crime to put food on the table. The police then round up "criminals" and put them through the criminal justice system, which does its best to make sure these people go to prison, and that they stay there. While in prison, convicts are utilized as the state's unpaid labor force, essentially modern-day slavery.
So you see, police are a key part of that system. Despite how they've been perceived and however many "good cops" you've met in your life, the very institution they represent is designed to oppress people and protect the interests of the wealthy white elite. It's not a matter of " bad apples", the whole orchard is rotten.
Now people have never been so gullible as to blindly assume this way of things, they've been coerced over decades with propaganda, manipulated into depending on this falsehood as a reality, like a drug addict. They've become so dependent on the idea that police are "protectors" and "public servants" that they've come to believe it. Little do they know that the second they start to question that reality, police will be ready to beat the shit out of them for falling out of line.
I think the government has seen this coming for years. After all, they've made no bones about hiding the way they destabilize other countries, why would they let their guard down with their own people? This is why police departments across the country have been given swollen budgets to buy military-grade equipment over the last couple decades - they've been preparing for uprisings like we've seen throughout the country in the last two weeks.
Several cities have begun listening to the demands of protesters who are calling for the abolition of the police, some even going as far as to vocalize an openness to defunding police departments, and reappropriating funds to community-based programs and resources. So far it's all talk, but the fact that the conversation is even happening is absolutely HUGE.
It’s utterly unheard of, but it’s happening. Slowly, but surely. There will absolutely be pushback from people who still don’t understand the situation, but that’s to be expected. When you live your entire life under the assumption that the police exist to protect you (even though overwhelming amounts of evidence exists to the contrary), you’re naturally going to feel defensive about the idea of losing them. This perspective is less about the actual work police do and more about the false sense of 'security' people have been fed throughout the course of their lives.
Above I’ve included a simple graphic that lists 8 strategies to abolish the police from 8toabolition.com, a quick online resource for people looking to learn more about prison abolition. As opposed to "police reforms", which are really just new rules that police will never be trusted to follow, these strategies apply actual changes to the way society would function that would eliminate the need for police. I encourage you to check out their website for more information.
For further discussion on the topic of police abolition, I encourage you to watch this panel too. The people on the panel have all either written about police abolition or currently work in grassroots abolitionist organizing efforts in their communities. They provide compelling discussion on the topic that is accessible to anyone who may not have a fundamental understanding of why people want to abolish the police.
Ask around for organizations in your area that are doing prison/police abolition work, and consider volunteering or donating money to help their efforts! At the very least, read. Here's a link to a google drive library of radical texts someone shared on Instagram. Take your pick. I'm working my way through Audre Lorde right now.
Now, as for the music on today's show. I picked a playlist of a bunch of stuff I picked up on Bandcamp day. I aimed for a diverse genre palate to keep things interesting. Especially jazzed with Madison McFerrin's "Stay TF Home" loop. I resonate with that so much. Even though it's important to be on the streets right now, the pandemic continues to claim people at every chance it gets. So if you're out there, consider getting tested and quarantining for a couple weeks.
As always, stay healthy, stay safe, and stay home.
See y'all next week.
AS
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