On my music page, the first song I posted is called “Chroma” and it comes with a video with lyrics posted. The song was created first as a creative response prompt for one of my grad school classes. We were to reflect on the idea of racism and this song emerged. Below are the original lyrics:
Ballad songs begin
The story of our tribe
Known by all kin
Ancient armor thick
The worth of our kind
Known by our skin
All hearts bleed
When lacking compromises
The friction we need,
As the gray smoke rises
On the edge unknown
Inner worlds hidden
Unsafe to be shown
Eye to eye seeking
We are windows
The grievance greeting
All hearts freed
When making compromises
The humility we need,
As the gray fog rises
The ideal trinity prism
Mind, body, spirit
Shines a color’s wisdom
Most recent lyrics:
Ballad songs begin
Story of the tribes
Words known by all kin
History, the scribe
Ancient armor thick
Protecting within
The worth of your kind
Known by your skin
The cries, the whys, the lies we’ve been given
Planted a privileged seed
Subliminal disguises
Is there a friction that we need?
As the gray smoke rises
White flag triumphant
Casualties hidden
Face of importance
Assumption ridden
We are the windows
Eye to eye seeking
Now, Look through or in
The grievance greeting
The cries, the whys, the lies we’ve been given
Do you follow society’s creed?
Oppressive exercises
Will your true colors bleed?
As the grey fog rises
Ideal trinity prism
Mind, body, spirit
Shines soul wisdom
It’s time to know it
It’s time to feel it
Its time to trust it
It’s time to believe it
I felt drawn to creating a tribal, ancient sound. First verse reflects on the ways people find worth or somehow decide someone else’s worth by the color of someone’s skin. I mention the “armor” many people need to have due to the color of their skin.
The chorus speaks of the lies privileged white people have spread through hegemony, and the apparent need to create friction through dominance.
The third verse speaks about how white culture strives for dominance, yet this has created much hurt to marginalized peoples. White dominant cultures feel they are most important and they carry many incorrect assumptions about those they oppress.
The bridge section yearns for the dominant to see eye-to-eye with the oppressed. They can choose to look 'through' and ignore or really look into these relationships. If there is some meeting ground, there is going to need to be space for the oppressed to express their grievances and be heard.
The final chorus asks the listener if they follow the dominant narrative and to reflect on the oppressive exercises they might be involved in. The end of the song, is hopeful that a person can be understood through their mind, body, and spirit and not just the color of their skin.
In another class we were tasked with creating a project related to a social justice topic. I was inspired by the song to create the art piece that is shown in the video. It depicts a harmonious gathering of three hands of all different colors. Then in black paint, words related to oppression are painted over this beautiful picture until the whole picture is covered in black paint. Then with a small tool, I scratched through the paint with the ways we can address oppression and marginalization. As I scratched these words more and more of the colors beneath showed through. I happened to be able to scratch out the heart that was underneath.
I think this gives a strong visual of the things white people can do to address racism within themselves and the community. As I write, I also feel like this is an example of why “I don’t see color” is problematic. I would say that phrase is best represented by the slide with the blacked-out paper. They don’t recognize the hurt that has been caused and they don’t see the individual that is behind all of that.
I wanted to share this during Black History month because it is important for white people to not only celebrate the accomplishments made by black people, but also look within to check ourselves on any racist practices we still might hold without realizing it. This might be a life-long process for some. It should be ongoing as we unlearn and relearn.
Much of my music therapy experience has been working in a city in the mid-Atlantic region of the US where there was a high number of black families that I worked with. I learned many lessons on how to build trust and understand their experiences from my perspective as a white person. Black Lives Matter.
Comments