What’s going on when radio show hosts go on a rampage smashing the Dixie Chicks? How about when federal agents harass family members of Michael Farenti’s band “Spearhead�? Or when the famous Picasso painting “Guernica� is covered at the United Nations when Colin Powell spoke? What’s up with MTV releasing a statement that they would not air videos because of their political content? What is this about? Why this new wave of censorship on artists? What is the importance of music, art, and expression in our movement? And where can this take the peace movement?
When its time to speak out against the war or the activities of corporate America, you can generally count on certain folks to speak out and express their opinion. Celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Martin Sheen and Michael Moore have made repeated statements openly critical of the Bush administration’s war drive. Moore’s speech at the Oscars was very important in continuing public, dialogue against the war in Iraq. Even openly progressive music groups like Spearhead are definitely going to be targeted by reactionary corporate press, and it is expected that folks like Zach De La Rocha would come out against the war and release a statement. These celebrities have a large following among traditional activist circles and, of course, this is important. But, at the same time it is also important to recognize the folks that came out against the war from the less traditional activist circles.
I recently attended a concert featuring “The Roots� where they began the show by playing “War, What Is It Good For?� and had guest appearances from Nice and Smooth, who came out hard core against the war. I also attended Common’s Electric Circus tour, which was amazing, and Common Sense came out strong against the war freestlying “Fuck the war and fuck Bush.� He talked about the need for peace and people all around the world to come out and hit the streets, to protest against the war. Then he made the call for a moment of silence dedicated to all the lost Iraqi and American lives.
When Jay-Z goes on a peace tour across our nation, there is something very broad and important going on. The creation of Musicians United to Win Without War is a prime example of where a large section of people in the United States are at. Hip Hop artist Russell Simmons is known for saying, and I am paraphrasing, “If Puff Daddy and Jay-Z say no war, the people don’t want no war!� Russell constantly makes the argument that mainstream artist like Nas, Jay-Z and Puff Daddy are more respected and represent young folks’ interest (on a certain level) more than George W. and Colin Powell. Simmons could not be any more on point. He has taken up a leadership role in the Musicians United to Win Without War and is also the active force behind the Hip Hop Summit Action network. It was the Hip Hop Summit Action Network that rallied 60,000 young folks in late June of 2002 at City Hall in New York City against the school budget cuts. It highlighted the participation of mainstream artists like Jay-Z and Nas and mobilized young folks from the inner city to make their voices heard on the issues. This is what activists have long been asking of mainstream artists: to pick up politics and use their voice to express where the silent masses that support them are. Yeah, there is room for development and all that good stuff. With the proper influence being developed here this could be the foundation of something that can be a major youth force in a few years.
So as more and more artists come out for peace, what can we do as the young folks of the USA? Not all artists enjoy popularity and get coverage. So how can we support their efforts and let them know they have support in what their doing? Well to say it frankly, we can support them by buying their albums, buying their books, and letting them know that the people of this country support their efforts and want their support. Having all these artists come out against the war is amazing and it has helped create a new venue for the peace movement to reach the millions of Americans glued to the TV screens looking for answers. The isolating attacks, the censorship and the corporate media try to downplay these peace efforts. These attacks on celebrities exist for only one reason, to diminish the strength of our movement. They want us to lose focus on the real problem; the problem inside the White House.
We know that a majority of people across the globe did not want this war, and they don’t want this U.S. occupation. The only thing that is diminishing is the international and national support for the Bush administration and their constituents. Trying to silence the masses has not and will not work. Attempts to scare people with mainstream influence to hide in the shadows will not work; the whole world is behind us. Covering Picasso’s “Guernica�, attacking artists, Laura Bush not allowing poets to express their constitutional rights, and all this slick stuff pulled off in your corporate shadows, oh hell no, No you Didn’t!
Abdul Hassan is an editor of Dynamic, and a Member of the
National Council of the YCL.
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