Martin Luther King, Jr and Tracy Chapman

01.17.2011

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’d like to share the lyrics to Tracy Chapman’s “Across the Lines.” I believe that much has been accomplished since the days of slavery and the civil rights era of the 1960s but there is still much needed that could change. It’s easy for me to say, of course, because I don’t have to walk in the shoes of a black person in the US on a daily basis, but I would like to be optimistic.

Perhaps there will be a generation where not only blacks and whites will look beyond the color of one’s skin and see each other as people first and foremost, but that such a mentality will cross over into the treatment of other minorities, religions, and ethnicities.

Across the Lines

by Tracy Chapman

From her self-titled debut album, 1988

Across the lines

Who would dare to go

Under the bridge

Over the tracks

That separates whites from blacks

Choose sides

Run for your lives

Tonight the riots begin

On the back streets of america

They kill the dream of america

Little black girl gets assaulted

Ain’t no reason why

Newspaper prints the story

And racist tempers fly

Next day it starts a riot

Knives and guns are drawn

Two black boys get killed

One white boy goes blind

Across the lines

Who would dare to go

Under the bridge

Over the tracks

That separates whites from blacks

Choose sides

Run for your lives

Tonight the riots begin

On the back streets of america

They kill the dream of america

Little black girl gets assaulted

Don’t no one know her name

Lots of people hurt and angry

She’s the one to blame

Across the lines

Who would dare to go

Under the bridge

Over the tracks

That separates whites from blacks

Choose sides

Run for your lives

Tonight the riots begin

On the back streets of america

They kill the dream of america

Future Judgement

08.17.2010

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how unfair our world is, which is, I know, not breaking news. But the thing that goes over in my mind like a broken record is how unfairly women get treated and judged. There are men who look at women as objects. There are men who look at women as weaklings. There are men who have no respect for their talents and strengths.

This led me to think about the future. My future. If we had a child, what would I say to her about encountering men who dismiss her just because she’s female? Or, if the child’s a boy, what would I tell him about accepting women as individuals just like we accept him?

With these questions in mind, I sat down and wrote two letters.

Dear Daughter,

In this world, you will experience a lot of magic, mystery, and play as well as pain, suffering, and judgment. I won’t always be there when you experience these and I won’t always have the answers. But I hope for one thing: that by the time you’re my age, you will easily shrug off any feelings of inadequacy that a man may try to make you feel. You might feel weak at times and you might have moments when their words will seem to be truer than what’s in your heart. But remember what Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” These men, and anyone else who tries to keep you down, will do everything in their power to make sure you’re kept down. Use the wings of your imagination and don’t be afraid because believing in yourself is the greatest weapon a person can ever behold.

To My Son,

I wish for you to know your strengths and capabilities so that you can achieve whatever your imagination conjures up and whatever your heart desires.

I also hope that you understand compassion, love, and acceptance. I hope that when you look at a woman you see a person and accept her inner beauty, her unconditional love, and…her flaws. I hope that when a man belittles a woman you will stand up for her even if it means you’re the only one who’s standing. I hope you see that this strategy of judgment that so many men use in order to feel empowered actually makes them weak. I hope you know that you are better than that.

These convictions will be appreciated and even sought after. Believing in the right thing makes your heart feel full and this is the second greatest weapon a person can ever behold. The first is believing in yourself.