“Rosa sat / So Martin could walk / Martin walked / So Barack could run / Barack ran / He ran and he won so that all our children could fly.” Amy Dixon-Kolar gifted us with this music in revolution. It had become a favorite before and after the first black man, Barack Obama, won the US presidency in 2008. Revolution is a process helped along by the power of music.
Zooming in on the Kenya situation, those categorized as middle-class have often chosen to sit out revolutions because they feel it is beneath them. They remain blind to why and how they gained the freedoms that now enable them to fly high. They see those who take to the streets in protest and assume only idleness could take them there.
When the protesters get teargassed, kidnapped or killed by repressive powers, those who keep a distance from direct action are quick to side with the law for dealing with trouble-makers.
There will always be a daring group of the materially comfortable class who join direct action. There are other platforms of meaningful revolt that can allow different groups of people to participate in shifting their society to the level of prosperity and opportunity they know is possible. When “good people” act, change happens. It is our responsibility to create diverse platforms for public participation.
The Crucible’s Music-in-Revolution program needs you!
Societies that have succeeded phenomenally in winning freedoms and maintaining them for generations have mastered the art of music in nation-building. The Crucible intends to sustained a space for music in revolution. If you are interested in choral performance, please leave your contacts with us at https://thecrucibleinstitute.org/index.php/join-us/
