Lockdown! at the Disco #7: Black Lives Matter

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TRACK 1: “The Noise Came From Here” – Saul Williams

Hello, and welcome to episode seven of Comics Youth Radio presents Lockdown! at the Disco broadcasting live from the lonely streets of Fairfield and Kensington on day 7000 of lockdown with me – your frankly very frustrated and frazzled show host – Amy Roberts.  And you’re with me for the next 90 minutes of tunes and talk.

And opening today’s show was incredible writer, poet, musician, and activist Saul Williams with The Noise Came From Here.

You may have noticed that we didn’t do an episode last week and that was for a very good reason. While we understand at Comics Youth that silence isn’t constructive during times like these, we also recognise as a majority white organisation that it can be helpful to step back in order for other and more marginalised voices to be heard.

So, we took the time to listen and to reflect. And what we have here today is a Black Lives Matter special in which we strive not to speak for the BAME communities of the UK and beyond, but rather to use our platform and our privilege to highlight black voices and to share resources and sentiments with which to encourage education and activism in the fight against racism and white supremacy.

It isn’t enough right now to simply feel outraged about what’s happening in the world and what has been allowed to continue to happen for centuries. So, to our friends and supporters in the BAME community, we love you, we support you, we hear you, and we fight alongside you.

To our white friends and supporters, let’s all try harder. Let’s strive to educate ourselves – and not demand for others to educate us. Let’s speak out and challenge racism. Let’s work harder at using our privilege to dismantle the oppressive and violent structures that are deeply embedded within our society.

Let us not simply be satisfied with getting angry and taking to social media with it. That’s not enough. It’s never been enough. We’ve got work to do, and it needs to be done now. No justice, no peace.

We’d also like to add a content warning to this episode. While we’ve tried to avoid making it needlessly heavy – because everything is heavy enough right now – there are still songs and some content which reference violence against the black community, racism, and transphobia which some listeners may find difficult.

As a final note, while we’ve made every effort to keep the music in this episode as clean and expletive free as possible, there may still be some language left in that may be inappropriate for some younger listeners, so parental discretion is advised.

This is Pleasure Venom with “Seize”

TRACK 2: “Seize” – Pleasure Venom
TRACK 3: “1000 Deaths” – D’Angelo

That was Austin-based punk band Pleasure Venom with “Seize” followed by “1000 Deaths” by D’Angelo which opens with a really powerful sample from a speech by Malcolm X. Every song that we’ll be playing today are by black artists from the US and the UK which reflect on many of the issues that the Black Lives Matter campaign are continuing to highlight in the fight against police brutality, racism, and white supremacy. 

We have a really extensive Black Lives Matter resource doc up on the Comics Youth news blog which we’ve been working on as a team for the past couple of weeks. It features all sorts of information that we hope activists and allies of all ages will find helpful such as links to advice about immediate actions we can all take including petitions, staying safe in protests, how to write to your local MP, and various campaigns that you can be involved in that have been set up to promote lasting intersectional change and to challenge racist systemic structures within society.

But you’ll also find a whole bunch of educational stuff on there too so you can learn more about and understand  the issues and about how to be a good ally and a productive activist during all of this – and that includes some links to notable BAME creators, books, podcasts, syllabuses, and articles that we heartily recommend.

There’s all sorts on there and we’ll be dipping into that resource here and there throughout the show.

I would also like to just say that I understand and recognise the problems of a cis-gender white woman such as myself talking about a lot of the stuff we’re going to be talking about on this episode today – when we should be elevating a black voice here instead.

I don’t want to be speaking for or over anybody. I want to simply use my privilege, and the privilege of Comics Youth as a white majority organisation, and of this radio show to promote and support anti-racist action and to hopefully educate and signpost.

We’re always looking to do better and to learn and – not to sound like Frasier Crane, here – but we’re always listening and open to feedback. So please feel free to get in touch with me about absolutely anything to do with this show via amy@comicsyouth.co.uk.

But for now, let’s kick it to some Gil Scott Heron.

TRACK 4: “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – Gil Scott-Heron
TRACK 5: “My Block” – Che Lingo

That was “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott Heron – and that came out in 1971 and yet it’s still such a bold and radical statement regarding the co-opting of political ideologies by big corporations and a call-to-action to challenge what you see in the media – how protests and politics are depicted. How people are depicted – you know?

In an interview in 1990, Gil Scott Heron said that the song is also about how a true protest and a true revolution cannot be accurately depicted on television or on the news because it can never show the complete picture. He said:

The first change that takes place is in your mind. You have to change your mind before you change the way you live and the way you move. The thing that’s going to change people is something that nobody will ever be able to capture on film. It’s just something that you see and you’ll think, "Oh I’m on the wrong page," or “I’m on the right page but the wrong note. And I’ve got to get in sync with everyone else to find out what’s happening in this country.
And following Gil Scott Heron was South West London MC Che Lingo with the powerful My Block. And obviously, I think that’s just a really powerful track by an extremely talented and rising young UK artist. But listening to the song the other day it also reminded me that we are so heavily influenced by American media and by American politics.

There is a lot happening in the US that we need to be aware of and to pay attention to. But we also have a lot of issues in the UK that we need to pay more attention to. We have a lot of issues in this country to do with institutionalised racism, police brutality, and structures of white supremacy – you only need to look at the actions of and listen to the words of our current government to see how high up and embedded racism is in this country.

These issues are outrageously alive and well in the UK. And they’re also right here in our own city and we have to continue to challenge them and to look out for one another and to speak up about injustice.

And with that in mind I wanted to do a dedication to Mzee Mohammed – the 18 year old boy who died in police custody in Liverpool in 2016. In 2018, an IPCC investigation determined that he died of natural causes.

I’m not going to respond to that. Except to say that Mzee Mohammed was an autistic teenager with ADHD who had gone into a store in an agitated state to claim he was being chased. Not much longer afterwards eight security guards, 18 police officers, a police dog, and a police helicopter were enlisted to detain him.

I’m still livid about this. And about the very little that was done in response following his death.

Mohammed’s family believed that this response was disproportionate and ultimately, lethal. Understandably, they wanted justice for this. And what they got instead was an inquiry that said ‘he died of natural causes’.

This shouldn’t be natural and it shouldn’t be normalised. This happened just four years ago in our own city  and truth be told, every one of us knows that this could happen again. We know that it does happen – it might not end with the same tragedy – but disproportionate and aggressive police responses to reported activities by black people in Liverpool and the UK are still happening.

And I’m sorry that I’m getting so upset about this on air. But I think all of us feel this right now. And I’m furious that this is still where we’re at. And that a protest song from 1971 – hell, protest songs from the 60s, 50s, 40s, 30s – that all of them still hit a chord and are intensely relative in 2020 when they shouldn’t be. We should be past this. We should have better structures and better protection and better life opportunities for the BAME community.

Let’s look out for one another, let’s continue to write to our local MP’s on these issues. Let’s stay loud and stay active and remain vigilant. This is Lauryn Hill with “I Find It Hard to Say”:

TRACK 6: “I Find It Hard To Say (Rebel)” – Lauryn Hill
TRACK 7: “Way Out” – Big Joanie

That was Lauryn Hill with “I Find it Hard to Say” and that track is taken from her MTV Unplugged performance and it was followed by London punk feminists Big Joanie who I can’t recommend enough. I saw them live in Bristol a few years ago now and they remain one of my favourite UK bands at the moment.

Chardine Taylor-Stone from Big Joanie actually did a TED talk in 2016 about being a black, working class feminist where she reconciles what it means to be black and “alternative” and how being involved in punk subcultures can help to inform radical identities and activism for black women today. It’s called “Oh Bondage Up Yours: How Punk Music Can Turn You Into a Black Feminist” and I heartily recommend you search it out on YouTube and give it a watch.

As a side note before we bring the jams back, I read something really important by the wonderful Phoebe Robinson the other day on Instagram. Phoebe was one of the co-hosts of – what I think remains one of the best podcasts of all time - and that’s Two Dope Queens, a comedy podcast that she did with the equally wonderful Jessica Williams.

And she was basically responding to that really awful, misguided black and white video you’ve likely seen on social media by now that a load of white Hollywood actors put together where they read from a super apologetic, saccharine script to basically say “I take responsibility for any racism I’ve caused or been part of in my life.” And you know, the intention was good I’m sure – but wow, it also feels like a bunch of people who don’t know how to be human and are just putting on a performance to prove that, you know, they care about the issues, man!

It's a really disastrous, tone-deaf video and I was really upset to watch it – and people like Kristen Bell and Stanley Tucci and Justin Theroux who I generally respect as actors show up in it and it's like, oh no – not you too, Veronica Mars? What a disaster.

So, on Instagram Phoebe has quite rightly called this video out for everything it deserves. And I urge you to head over to her Instagram so you can read the whole statement from her on there. But one thing in particular really stood out to me and I think it’s an important one for all of us to remember at the moment – especially, for any white allies who are currently trying to educate themselves more by reading or watching or listening to media that explores a lot of the issues being brought by the Black Lives Matter movement.

I’ll read out what Phoebe says about it, because it’s a great thing to bear in mind right now and for always. She says, “Quit only consuming black works of art that are about race and suffering. Yes, they are important – but if you don’t watch “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” or listen to any Marvin Gaye songs except “What’s Going On?” or read books by black authors that aren’t in the canon, then you don’t see black humanity. We are much more than the trauma we endure.”

Which is very true. You only need to look at how an institution like the Academy Awards, for instance, will primarily only really shower awards on black creators and actors who explore the shared traumas of black communities or history or which show black suffering or slave narratives.

So, it’s something to bear in mind. Let’s enjoy and celebrate the whole diaspora of black art and experience – and not just the trauma and the painful parts.

It's worth noting that I understand the irony of talking about this during an episode where I’m also kind of doing the same with the songs I’ve chosen here. But I also wanted to keep that as part of the show – because an important part of all of this is for us to acknowledge when we might slip up or make a mistake or not contribute to things in the right way however well-intentioned we may be. All we can do is learn. All we can do is try harder and better next time.

But let’s stop with these mishandled celebrity videos for a bit shall we? Good grief.

TRACK 8: “Wake Up” – Rage Against The Machine
TRACK 9: “This Is America” – Childish Gambino

That was “Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine followed by “This is America” by Childish Gambino which I had to furiously fade out at a crucial moment in order to avoid some big-time f-bombing – which we can’t have on this show - Lockdown! at the Disco is for the kids!

I wanted to do a quick shoutout to everyone who has been able to get down to the protests in support of Black Lives Matter that have been taking place in Liverpool. I know that with the pandemic being on not everyone has been able to get involved – maybe you have a health condition which needs you to continue shielding or maybe your mental health isn’t in a great place right now and the thought of a protest or being in a large crowd is just a little bit too much.

But just know that whatever it is that you’re doing to show your support and solidarity, that it’s also crucial that you put your health and your wellbeing first.

Don’t forget that if you’re attending protests to please make sure you wear a protective mask and gloves. Take a sufficient amount of water along with you and please, please, please continue to maintain a safe distance between yourself and others.

Please also remember that it has been confirmed by the UK Office of National Statistics that COVID-19 has a significantly higher impact on the black community, alongside people of Bangladeshi and Pakistani, Indian and Mixed ethnicities than that of those who are white.

Protect yourself. Protect your community.

And remember, if you can’t attend the protests – there’s still a lot you can do at home. On our Black Lives Matter resource list – which you can read via our news blog on ComicsYouth.co.uk – we have a list of things you can do to remain active in all of this right now.

You can write to your local MP to demand the export suspension of items like tear gas, rubber bullets, and riot shields which are being used against protestors in the US. And you can also write to your local MP about creating reform to the British Education System in making the current UK curriculum more BAME inclusive.

There are also a whole bunch of petitions which you can currently sign in helping to push for lasting intersectional change – and you’ll find a big list of some of those on our resource list. Keep on fighting the power, lovelies.

TRACK 10: “Fight The Power” – Public Enemy
TRACK 11: “Weary” – Solange

That was Public Enemy with “Fight the Power” followed by “Weary” by Solange.

Okay, pens on paper. Class is in session. We’re gonna do a quick lesson on a few important things right here.  

We wanted to take this moment to just make clear, one last time, some things about understanding privilege. Whether it’s something you feel you have a tight grasp of in understanding but wish other people in your life knew more about and don’t quite know how to explain it, or if it’s something you’re still grappling to get your head around – let’s carry on pushing forward with the notion that there is always room for growth and to learn and to educate.

In order to fight racism we have to understand language and the context of language – because language impacts thoughts and thoughts are what control the world. Okay?

So, lesson 1: Understand racial microaggressions
These are everyday negative actions such as slurs, insults or derogatory comments that are aimed at ethnic minorities in order to belittle them. And these can be everything from failing to learn the correct pronunciation of a person’s name, or asking where someone is “really” from.

Pay attention to these things. Call them out when you hear them. Be aware and moderate your own behaviour.

Lesson 2: Know what cultural appropriation is
This is the act of taking on a culture or behaviour of a group that you do not belong to. 

It can be healthy to promote exchanges of cultures and understand others way of life, but it becomes problematic when you stereotype these cultures and behaviours or begin to label it as your own.

A huge example of this can currently be seen within the LGBTQIA+ community with white queer people adopting the language of black, indigenous, people of colour and coining it as their own, such as “yas queen” or “spill the tea” etc. These are phrases that originated in the queer Black community and which have been wildly appropriated in mainstream white LGBTQIA+ culture.

Lesson 3: Colour Blind racism is counterproductive
This is a big one, people! You might think that making the statement that you “don’t see colour” is a progressive thing to say. But it actually does the opposite of the statement’s intended purpose.

Saying that you “don’t see colour” actually invalidates people of colour when what they actually want is for their heritage, culture and identity to be acknowledged without discrimination.

Thus concludes today’s lesson. Next time class is in session we’ll have to fist around in the ol’budget to see if we have the money for a nice bell. But err, somehow I don’t think the Comics Youth Radio sound effects department has the loose change for it.

Just remember, it’s okay to get it wrong. It’s okay to acknowledge that we might have been saying and doing the wrong things. So long as we learn and are open to learning and open to improving our understanding. Here’s Beyonce feat. Kendrick Lamar.

TRACK 12: “Freedom” – Beyonce feat. Kendrick Lamar
TRACK 13: “Carried Away” – Akala feat. Josh Osho

That was “Freedom” by Beyonce featuring Kendrick Lamar. And Kendrick quite rightly won the 2018 Pulitizer Prize for his album DAMN which features spectacularly powerful vignettes that capture and explore the diaspora of modern African-American life.

Obviously, we would have loved to have played a track from any of his albums but me mate Kendrick loves his explicit language in his songs so we couldn’t play them. But if you’re over 18 then I strongly urge you to give his back catalogue of music a thorough listen because the man’s a genius.

By the same token, I also hugely recommend the new Run the Jewels album which dropped last week I think – and they made it free to download, or for donation towards the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Fund which provides legal support for political activists, protestors and movements for social change. It’s a phenomenal album and a real defining musical moment for 2020.

Following Beyonce, we had Akala with “Carried Away”. If you don’t know Akala, I can’t promote him enough. He’s an incredible writer, musician, political commentator and academic. A few years ago he released an incredible book called Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire in which – via personal, social, historical, and political exploration – he confronts issues of race and class at the heart of the legacy of Britain’s racialised empire.

There’s also a whole bunch of incredible YouTube videos with him challenging a lot of modern political discourse surrounding race and class in modern Britain which are more than worthy of your time. One video in particular which stands out is Akala addressing black history and how it’s been written out of so much of modern understanding of the world  during a full hour long address at Oxford University.

TRACK 14: “Sound Of Da Police” – KRS-One
TRACK 15: “Don’t Shoot” – Shea Diamond

First up there was the iconic KRS One with “Sound of Da Police”. KRS One is such a legendary New York MC and he’s also a big lover of our fair city and has worked with a few local MC’s and I think done some community work here too. I think every one of my mates has shared a juice with him at one local establishment or another over the years and he’s a really good egg.

Following that was musician and transgender rights activist Shea Diamond. And as it’s Pride month, I wanted to close this episode down with an impassioned reminder that TERFs are no friends of ours. JK Rowling can get in the bin.

And with the horrific news of yet more violence committed against black trans people, we wanted to share our love once more to all of our transgender listeners, supporters and friends: We love you and we’ve got you. Black trans lives matter.

And that brings our show to a close! Next week, we’re hoping to do a show which can uplift us all a little bit after a very difficult couple of weeks. So, we’re going to be bringing some big bops and positive energy to the show – because in order to fight this world right now and keep pushing forward we need to find the right headspace and sniff out little pockets of joy wherever we can.

The week after that we’re planning our Pride special which we’re putting together with the very talented young people from our Safe Spaces group as part of our second Safe Spaces online takeover. We’re very excited to develop and to bring you that treat.

So, until next time: Stay safe and stay sassy. Everything is not cool, but it can be. We love you all and we’ve got this, okay? This is Maya Angelou with Still I Rise.

TRACK 16: “Still I Rise” – Maya Angelou