What if we went into these lyrics with a totally open mind?
<br>Rapper Macklemore released his new song, "White Privilege II," earlier this year. People feel a lot of different ways about it.
Image via Getty Images/ Frederick M. Brown.
Some people felt Americans shouldn't be so quick to celebrate a white man admitting to his privilege and that the song itself was terrible.
Others applauded Macklemore for making the most of his platform. After all, the song release was accompanied by a website stating that Macklemore and collaborator Ryan Lewis and company are committed to using their creativity to support black-led organizing and anti-racist education.
But one thing's for sure. Macklemore has people talking. And thinking.
As Macklemore told Rolling Stone:
"It's easier, as a white person, to be silent about racial injustice. It's easier. On paper. But it's not easier on the whole, because injustice affects all of us, whether we know it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not. "
So let's see what Macklemore did with the platform he was given.
Put the song and Macklemore the person aside, and let's take a look at a few things inside the lyrics that are worth acknowledging.
Open minds, open hearts, can't lose!
(You can listen to it as you read if you like!)
1. It might be awkward to be white and protest alongside Black Lives Matter activists and other black liberation movements.
"Pulled into the parking lot, parked it
Zipped up my parka, joined the procession of marchers
In my head like, 'Is this awkward? Should I even be here marching?'"
Ben (Macklemore's given name) has not been a stranger to protests nor to awkwardness. He's been documented on Twitter marching in Seattle.
.@macklemore is here. Crowd heading north on Boren from Rainier and Jackson http://pic.twitter.com/ZaHrhmENzL— Bettina Hansen (@bettinahansen) November 25, 2014
Personally, I think the awkward moments are where life happens.
Awkward pioneer-hat-Batman-PJs moments? GIFs via Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
So, yes — all people should get up and attend a protest if they want. But whether you choose to show up and march or not, there are a lot of different ways to positively affect the cause.
2. It's time to acknowledge cultural appropriation.
"You've exploited and stolen the music, the moment
The magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with
The culture was never yours to make better."
Jezebel interviewed Jamila Woods, a collaborator on "White Privilege II," about the idea of addressing cultural appropriation. She said, "I thought it was interesting to think of that sort of intersectionality of a white artist in hip-hop, and cultural appropriation, and how white people can be involved in black liberation struggles."
Culture isn't a costume. So if you're wearing, using, exploiting a culture as a performance ... reflect! You might be appropriating that culture — and that's unkind.
Take a bite out of cultural appropriation.
3. Even if you're in a privileged group, you can't really "fix" anything if the whole system is broken.
"It's all stolen, anyway, can't you see that now?
There's no way for you to even that out."
As Macklemore told Rolling Stone, "I can continue to be safe, and to rest in my privilege, and to not speak up, and the system perpetuates itself — or I can try to engage in the conversation, knowing that I don't have all the answers, knowing that I have so much to learn."
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.
Personally, chipping away at a system that's broken is what makes me feel like I'm helping. So even if it's clear I can't break the system that's hurting people, it's nice to try to bend it a little. ;)
4. A lot of us are blind to the experience of our fellow Americans.
Photo via Mat Hayward/Getty Images.
The song also features these astonishing real quotes from real people:
"So, they feel that the police are discriminating against the ... the black people? — I have an advantage? Why? Cause I'm white? (laughs) What? (laughs) No. — See, more people nowadays are just pussies. Like, this is the generation to be offended by everything. — 'Black Lives Matter' thing is a reason to take arms up over perceived slights. — I'm not prejudiced, I just ... 99% of the time, across this country, the police are doing their job properly."
There's no question about it — these attitudes are a huge problem all over the country. It's a problem in Macklemore's own fan base.
Think. Then speak. Then think. Then mostly listen. Then when you think you should speak, listen some more.
5. Not taking action is also an action.
"I've heard that silences are action
And God knows that I've been passive."
Macklemore said the person told him, "You have a platform, but silence is an action, and right now, you're being silent. You're not saying anything about what's going on, and because you're a white rapper you have perspective and an insight onto these issues that you need to be speaking about. It's very important that you engage your audience."
Was it Oscar who phoned Ben? We may never know. GIF via "Sesame Street."
6. Acknowledge the huge advantages that plain old being white offers.
"I can book a whole tour, sell out the tickets
Rap entrepreneur, built his own business
If I'm only in this for my own self-interest, not the culture that gave me a voice to begin with
Then this isn't authentic, it is just a gimmick
The DIY underdog, so independent
But the one thing the American dream fails to mention
Is I was many steps ahead to begin with."
Macklemore is not the first "rap entrepreneur" (hello, Jay Z) — but he's celebrated for it and rewarded for it. This sort of unbalanced praise and support for people with the same level of achievement and ability but different skin colors (tbh, NO ONE can touch Hova, but bear with me) — it doesn't just happen in rap or hip-hop or music. They happen to people of color every day, in every scenario.
White privilege puts some people a few steps ahead. It's a thing that happens.
7. It's not enough to just celebrate black culture.
"We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by;
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?"
It's worth acknowledging how our culture loves to celebrate black identity, music, and dance but falls silent when things get real. A recent poll found over half of white Americans saw Black Lives Matter as "a distraction from the real issues." Um ... no.
Don't get it twisted.
8. There's a reason it's Black Lives Matter, not All Lives Matter.
In fact, a lot of people still don't really understand what Black Lives Matter is all about. Those people love to insist that "all lives matter."
Macklemore's song hits those people with a great metaphor.
"Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy, is like if ... if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire. The fire department wouldn't show up and start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter. They would show up and they would turn their water on the house that was burning because that's the house that needs the help the most."
Photo via Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.
9. Acknowledge that a more just society requires risk.
"I think one of the critical questions for white people in this society is 'What are you willing to risk? What are you willing to sacrifice to create a more just society?'"
Maybe it's risking feeling awkward at a protest. Maybe the risk is something like supporting affirmative action. Maybe the risk is just getting to know someone from a different background than you. What would you risk?
Breaking down walls IRL is much harder.
OK, Macklemore's song isn't going to solve racism. Songs can't do that. People barely can!
And, yeah, maybe we need to tap the brakes on celebrating a white guy for finally speaking out against racism when people of color have been doing it for centuries.
Congratulate me! I'm using my platform! — Macklemore ... maybe?
But the song, written in earnest, is completely free to download and seems to have its heart in the right place. I think we can all learn something from it if we just give it an honest chance.
It's important to listen, listen, listen to start learning how to be better to each other. This is as a good place as any to start.
<br>Big-time credit to the community of Genius, whose analysis and links helped a lot with this piece. You can find more about the song and the energy behind the song on whiteprivilege2.com. Thumbnail image via Roger Kisby/Getty Images.
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