[Music] [Applause]
we’re here to share some words and some
we’re here to share some words and some music with you today on a pronoun piece
music with you today on a pronoun piece
music with you today on a pronoun piece of music that I wrote called rise
of music that I wrote called rise
of music that I wrote called rise premiered here in Washington DC at
premiered here in Washington DC at
premiered here in Washington DC at Metropolitan AME Church at the time the
Metropolitan AME Church at the time the
Metropolitan AME Church at the time the way I described that piece rise was as a
way I described that piece rise was as a
way I described that piece rise was as a reflection on America’s Civil Rights
reflection on America’s Civil Rights
reflection on America’s Civil Rights journey from Selma to Ferguson and
journey from Selma to Ferguson and
journey from Selma to Ferguson and beyond as it turned out that day beyond
beyond as it turned out that day beyond
beyond as it turned out that day beyond was Baltimore April nineteenth 2015 was
was Baltimore April nineteenth 2015 was
was Baltimore April nineteenth 2015 was the day that Freddie gray died of
the day that Freddie gray died of
the day that Freddie gray died of injuries sustained while in police
injuries sustained while in police
injuries sustained while in police custody over the course of the previous
custody over the course of the previous
custody over the course of the previous week in Baltimore what happened in the
week in Baltimore what happened in the
week in Baltimore what happened in the days and weeks that followed as many of
days and weeks that followed as many of
days and weeks that followed as many of you know is what has come to be known as
you know is what has come to be known as
you know is what has come to be known as the Baltimore uprising many people in
the Baltimore uprising many people in
the Baltimore uprising many people in Baltimore were protesting just as had
Baltimore were protesting just as had
Baltimore were protesting just as had happened in Ferguson after the murder of
happened in Ferguson after the murder of
happened in Ferguson after the murder of Mike Brown we had participants in those
Mike Brown we had participants in those
Mike Brown we had participants in those protests observers and i want to say
protests observers and i want to say
protests observers and i want to say most crucially artists who were bearing
most crucially artists who were bearing
most crucially artists who were bearing witness to this on social media and
witness to this on social media and
witness to this on social media and otherwise and one of those artists that
otherwise and one of those artists that
otherwise and one of those artists that really caught my attention was Devin
really caught my attention was Devin
really caught my attention was Devin Allen I don’t know how many of you know
Allen I don’t know how many of you know
Allen I don’t know how many of you know Devin Allen’s work this is one example
Devin Allen’s work this is one example
Devin Allen’s work this is one example of it up here Devin quickly rose to
of it up here Devin quickly rose to
of it up here Devin quickly rose to national attention because his work made
national attention because his work made
national attention because his work made the cover of Time magazine on May
the cover of Time magazine on May
the cover of Time magazine on May eleventh of 2015 one of his images kind
eleventh of 2015 one of his images kind
eleventh of 2015 one of his images kind of becoming the face of the uprising in
of becoming the face of the uprising in
of becoming the face of the uprising in Baltimore basically in these stark
Baltimore basically in these stark
Baltimore basically in these stark black-and-white images on Instagram
black-and-white images on Instagram
black-and-white images on Instagram Devin was telling the story of the
Devin was telling the story of the
Devin was telling the story of the Baltimore uprising in a way that I think
Baltimore uprising in a way that I think
Baltimore uprising in a way that I think only a local artist could he was
only a local artist could he was
only a local artist could he was offering this necessary counterweight to
offering this necessary counterweight to
offering this necessary counterweight to what we were seeing those of us from
what we were seeing those of us from
what we were seeing those of us from Baltimore we’re seeing in the national
Baltimore we’re seeing in the national
Baltimore we’re seeing in the national media as kind of a one-dimensional
media as kind of a one-dimensional
media as kind of a one-dimensional narrative riots unrest
narrative riots unrest
narrative riots unrest when Devin was asked by the New York
when Devin was asked by the New York
when Devin was asked by the New York Times what he was what his work was
Times what he was what his work was
Times what he was what his work was about he said I wanted to show people
about he said I wanted to show people
about he said I wanted to show people the beauty of the protest I wanted to
the beauty of the protest I wanted to
the beauty of the protest I wanted to show people the beauty of the protest so
show people the beauty of the protest so
show people the beauty of the protest so I found Devon’s photographs and those
I found Devon’s photographs and those
I found Devon’s photographs and those words in particular very very affecting
words in particular very very affecting
words in particular very very affecting and more than that I felt a kinship with
and more than that I felt a kinship with
and more than that I felt a kinship with what he was doing I felt that here was a
what he was doing I felt that here was a
what he was doing I felt that here was a fellow artist working at this very very
fellow artist working at this very very
fellow artist working at this very very delicate intersection between art and
delicate intersection between art and
delicate intersection between art and activism and today what I’d like to do
activism and today what I’d like to do
activism and today what I’d like to do is share with you a piece of music that
is share with you a piece of music that
is share with you a piece of music that I wrote for lavina called the beauty of
I wrote for lavina called the beauty of
I wrote for lavina called the beauty of the protest this was inspired by Devin’s
the protest this was inspired by Devin’s
the protest this was inspired by Devin’s work it was premiered on april nineteen
work it was premiered on april nineteen
work it was premiered on april nineteen twenty sixteen one year to the day after
twenty sixteen one year to the day after
twenty sixteen one year to the day after Freddie Gray’s death I hope that this
Freddie Gray’s death I hope that this
Freddie Gray’s death I hope that this music provides a space I hope that this
music provides a space I hope that this
music provides a space I hope that this music provides a space for reflection I
music provides a space for reflection I
music provides a space for reflection I hope that it provides a space for
hope that it provides a space for
hope that it provides a space for communion I hope that it provides a
communion I hope that it provides a
communion I hope that it provides a space for grief I hope that it provides
space for grief I hope that it provides
space for grief I hope that it provides a space for empathy and above all I hope
a space for empathy and above all I hope
a space for empathy and above all I hope that it provides a space for memory you
that it provides a space for memory you
that it provides a space for memory you can see the shirts that Levin and I are
can see the shirts that Levin and I are
can see the shirts that Levin and I are wearing these are by Randy gloss Randy
wearing these are by Randy gloss Randy
wearing these are by Randy gloss Randy runs a company called gloss rags and
runs a company called gloss rags and
runs a company called gloss rags and these shirts are part of what Randy
these shirts are part of what Randy
these shirts are part of what Randy calls her and Counting series these are
calls her and Counting series these are
calls her and Counting series these are lists of names if you can’t see of black
lists of names if you can’t see of black
lists of names if you can’t see of black men and black women who have lost their
men and black women who have lost their
men and black women who have lost their lives in fatal encounters with law
lives in fatal encounters with law
lives in fatal encounters with law enforcement so her mission as she puts
enforcement so her mission as she puts
enforcement so her mission as she puts it is to fight amnesia we share this
it is to fight amnesia we share this
it is to fight amnesia we share this peace with you today in that same spirit
peace with you today in that same spirit
peace with you today in that same spirit this is our way of saying we remember
this is our way of saying we remember
this is our way of saying we remember these people we remember them as human
these people we remember them as human
these people we remember them as human beings not as hashtags we remember the
beings not as hashtags we remember the
beings not as hashtags we remember the Baltimore uprising and we remember
Baltimore uprising and we remember
Baltimore uprising and we remember Freddie gray
and
and you
you
you you
you
you you
[Music]
[Music] we might find
we will find
we will find you
we will fight
we will fight you
I
I [Music]
I don’t
I don’t [Music]
”
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