Sounds of the Movement
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In “My Bondage and My Freedom,” Frederick Douglass wrote, “To an ignorant observer, spirituals appeared to be simple hymns, retelling biblical stories and themes. But the songs held deeper meaning for the people who sang them, acting as coded messages that passed along information about how one might escape and serving as much-needed reminders that freedom was possible.”
As long as Black people have been in America, music has been important to us. Music has always been more than a way to pass time, or a way to entertain. It has been a tool to gather our people, to conjure strength, to make a statement, and to express both the passion we have for our people and the grief when our people are put in jeopardy.
Local Black queer artists have banded together to cultivate a space for their sounds of the movement, Black Luv N Rage. BLNR started as a one-shot Week of Action event in support of the Stop Cop City movement last year but is now becoming much more. Desh King and Travis Austin, the respective lead vocalist and guitarist for local band BIMBOS and two parts of the BLNR organizing team, sat down with Georgia Voice to discuss the role of music in Black liberation and what BLNR is doing for the movement.
While discussing the realities of their conditions, they find it important not to dwell too much on suffering in their music and still share moments of joy.
“The people that have a stake in our demise, our suffering, and our oppression are never going to stop,” King said. “We have to find a way to keep ourselves going through whatever that may be. Music and art are a good avenue for that.”
Much like Douglass’ reminder that freedom was possible, strengthening the will to persevere has been a constant in Black American music. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson, originally a written poem in 1900, is one of the most recognizable songs across Black American culture. The song tells us to “lift every voice and sing, ‘til earth and heaven ring, ring with harmonies of liberty” and later continues, “Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us… let us march on ‘til victory is won.”
Almost a century later, Kendrick Lamar would make waves and help bring in a modern period of social justice. His 2016 Grammy performance of “Alright” was arguably the most controversial and iconic live performance of the new millennia.
Lamar and his backup dancers took the stage in chains and prison uniforms to the tune of early 1900s harmonica and saxophone. He raps about falling for his vices while trying to escape the pains caused by life, but constantly reminds us, “If God got us, then we gone be alright.” This reminder became an anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement well into the 2020s.
Other influential examples of Black political music are Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” in response to the lynching of African Americans and “Fuck Tha Police” by N.W.A., released in the midst of Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs.
What is it about music that makes it such a strong part of liberation movements? To BLNR, it’s accessibility. “[BLNR] meant to be a showcase for Black music that a lot of leftist circles aren’t tapped into and giving a voice to the demographic most affected by Stop Cop City,” Austin said. King frequents the City Council meetings on the issue and told a story of something that motivated them. “I was at a city council meeting, and [a public commenter] said, ‘Black people don’t care about this. This is a white issue,’” they said. “There are a lot of times when people want to speak on behalf of Black people. It’s nice that they’re speaking up, but we can also speak for ourselves.”
BLNR has been more about the movement, the people, and the emotions (hence the “Luv” and “Rage”) than the music itself. This has allowed for a unique blending of genres that has cultivated a beautiful space for gathering. Acts range from hiphop and techno to noise and hardcore, to performances words can’t do justice.
The variety of acts has shown to be a great tool for bringing people together. The first BLNR show in June 2023 hosted approximately 60 to 80 people. The growth between the summer and fall show was immense; over 200 people were in attendance for the fall BLNR, which was once again held during a Week of Action and attracted many people from across the country.
BLNR is becoming a collective looking to serve the community in other ways, such as potential community outreach and doing more for artists such as booking and networking. Defending the community and giving Black queer artists a voice will always be at the center. The Stop Cop City movement has raged strong for years now. The people of Atlanta still have plenty of fight left in them, and there is plenty of Black Luv N Rage to go around.
Follow @blackluvnrage on Instagram and be on the lookout for the announcement of their next show announcement on February 23.