I've never considered myself much of a patriot, but rather a world citizen. As an artist and activist, I've always wanted my music to uplift and inspire people, and I've traveled near and far to help spread a message of peace and social change. When I wrote this song with Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist Spiritchild years ago, voter apathy was at an all-time high, and we needed change. We wrote it together as a dialogue to express the conflict we see around us, while also questioning the validity of our vote when it seems that the system, in and of itself, cannot be trusted.
When I first heard several months back that Trump wanted to defund the USPS, it sent me reeling. Not only is he blatantly sabotaging the vote by spreading fear of fraud, but doing it amidst the pandemic while people are in lockdown, isolated, and already afraid to leave their houses is sheer demagoguery. People are buying the lies.
The USPS is one of the first federal institutions that the United States implemented upon its inception. It is non-partisan and fundamental to the values of democracy. As Florida Representative Val Demings stated, "The Postal Service is in the Constitution. An attack on the USPS is an attack on the Constitution." #SaveTheUSPS
Not to mention the voter suppression happening in districts all over the country, which has been disproportionately affecting people of color. Systemic racism continues to rear its ugly head, and it's no wonder that African American youth and youth, in general, feel their votes don't count.
It's important to keep in mind that voting is the original form of protest. Actualizing our right to help determine who leads this country and our local governments is fundamental to our freedom, no matter which party you identify with. Women and African Americans had to fight tooth and nail for the right to vote, and now, all Americans have to stand up and fight for our right to vote by mail if we so choose. We should not be forced to expose ourselves to a potentially deadly disease in order to enact this freedom
Need some inspiration? Check out the official lyric video to the 2020 election song, I Vote! - A Song to Defend Democracy from the EP, Songs for Social Change.
Register and find everything you need to vote at https://vote.org.
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