Music's Influence on my Generation and the #BlackLivesMatter Movement

It’s a sad time in this country right now. Amidst COVID19 and a crashing economy, riots are breaking out across America in response to George Floyd’s death. The victim was murdered on the ground by a police officer’s knee, unable to breathe. This tragic incident has raised more public controversy than I’ve seen since Michael Brown was murdered by a police officer in 2014. We know these kinds of events happen all the time, but this gut-wrenching videographed murder was the tip of the iceburg for many minorities and supporters of equality.

Today’s day and age tends to be very musically cultured. We follow rappers on social media, we fangirl over pop artists and their lives. Seeing them speak their minds and support what they believe has a true impact on our personal decisions. Celebrities all over have made statements about Floyd’s death and commented on their support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Lebron James compared the event to Kaepernick’s National Anthem kneel, and Kevin Hart publicizes his concern for black children today. Alongside these influential celebrities, many musicians have taken part in the movement and the peaceful protests. 18 year old Billie Eilish expressed her anger, and almost every rapper in the industry is raising awareness on social media. Pop star Halsey speaks up about her experience at an LA protest. Accompanied by Yungblud, peacefully protesting for their fellow citizens’ rights, she found herself struck by a rubber bullet, causing a bruise through her clothing. She mentions how the group was following guidelines, staying behind their designated lines, and the cops still gassed and fired the rubber bullets. How is anyone supposed to feel safe demonstrating their right to peaceful protest if they will get hurt because of it? Why do you think riots are breaking out? Seeing prominent figures like Halsey standing up for what she believes in through turmoil is part of what makes this movement so successful.

On June 2nd, the majority of musicians vowed to take a day for observation and no work, a movement created by two African American female music executives. #TheShowMustBePaused was shared by several famous artists and executed by many. This was alongside #BlackoutTuesday, another movement where people posted all black images on social media in support of George Floyd and black equality. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook were positively spammed with these blocks of black, a powerful unity among people across the world. Instead of spending time on social media or unrelated work, people chose to educate themselves on the matter for a full day. Seeing your favorite celebrities or athletes you idolize supporting a cause makes you want to do the same. Murdabeatz posted a lengthy Instagram post in response to the incident and the movement. He posted “being a white producer in a predominantly black industry, I know that I have the duty to speak up and offer my support to the black community.” He also stated that “[he] will be participating in #theshowmustbepaused . . . and this will not be a chill day off but rather really trying to converse and research to try to contribute to actual meaningful change.” His stance on the issue is so important because it brings to light the racism that has been diminished subconsciously in most Americans’ minds. We all listen to black artists, we have black friends, we immerse ourselves in black culture- why should we stay silent when a black person is murdered?

Until writing this, I realize that I didn’t fully understand the effect that protests have on change. As a supporter of Pro Choice, I see women protesting and gathering all over, but a woman’s right to choose never seems to move forward. I’ve seen general women’s rights protests, but the way I and other females feel doesn’t seem to change. However, this movement is an ENTIRE country. People of all cultures and ethnicities have come together- you’ve even seen the pictures of cops in the middle of the protests in support of ending police brutality. The mayor of Altanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, tells Pod Save America that two Atlanta officers were fired on accounts of using excessive force during a protest. She stated that it was the right thing to do and also that the video was hard to watch. However, she’s not convinced that it would have been given a second look if the current movement hadn’t made everyone hyper-aware of police brutality. Before protests began, the cop responsible for George Floyd’s death was charged with murder in the third degree. A week later, ALL FOUR cops were charged with some degree of murder- concrete evidence that change is happening. The protests are bringing major awareness to the issue, which is the only way we can make progress as a country.

Racism is something bigger than all of us, especially white folks. We need celebrities of the highest status vocalizing their feelings, protests in every state, and nation-wide social media trends in order to get our points across and to make concrete change. As a society, how do we continue to make progress like this? Why is racism STILL a conversation? Generational feuding is something that has been prevalent forever. “Back in my day” or “your generation is so lazy” are statements that Generation Z and millennials hear more often than not. While that is probably true in some cases, I think that has a lot to do with our social views. In general, the younger age groups are more relaxed and laid back. In turn, they have less judgment and less worry about what others are doing and why. My hot take on this issue includes the opinions of my generation of open-minded people. Although people want to believe that all liberals are “pro-everything” and all republicans are racist, the truth is this: Gen Z and millennials do not care. The majority of protesters fall in that age range- they support all races regardless of your political stances. The majority of these racist cops and/or the people in the White House Administration are in an older demographic. See the difference here? Until people my age are fully integrated in the workforce and the political channels, I don’t think much will change. I think going forward, the prejudice cops’ mindsets won’t change- if anything they will feel more cynical, which we’ve already seen with the injustice toward protesters. But, once the population of millennials and Gen Z’ers are flooding the workforce, I truly think change will happen.

I understand that I will never understand. I’m a white female that lives in Montana- fully privileged. Desmond Tutu’s quote really stuck with me: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” It’s easy to sit here in a red state and let the president tactlessly speak for me on Twitter. But, I will not sit by and allow old white men to provoke more violence and fail to handle this situation. I choose to protest. I choose to start a revolution. I fully support the peaceful protests and the attempt to end racism and inequality, and I choose to do that through my writing. I hope this blog has accomplished its intention and reaches you with awareness. I challenge older folks and parents to do your part in educating yourself on how you really feel, and validate what your children believe in. My generation is.

Sources: Pod Save America podcast

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