I learned that if you bring black people together, you bring them together with a song. To this day, I don't understand how people think they can bring anybody together without a song.
Interpretation
Music is a powerful unifier that can bring people together regardless of their backgrounds.
Bernice Johnson Reagon emphasizes the importance of music as a means of unification among people, particularly within the Black community. She suggests that music transcends barriers and fosters a deep connection, and questions how true unity can be achieved without the influence of song, highlighting its vital role in communal bonding and shared experiences.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the role of music in cultural events.
When the culture is strong, you've got this consistency where black people can grow up in these places with this voice just resonating about our special-ness in the universe. And I always say you're in trouble if you get too far away from that core that grounds you.
Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.
The voice I have now, I got the first time I sang in a movement meeting, after I got out of jail... and I'd never heard it before in my life.
I've always liked depressing music because a lot of times, listening to it when you're down can actually make you feel less depressed. Also, even though a person may have problems with depression, sometimes you can actually be kind of comfortable in that space because you know how to operate within it.
I'm one of a dying breed who goes out and tours all the time. Labels don't spend the money to send people out to play before they become famous, but we did do that so the fans we have are word of mouth fans who have been travelling around with us for years, and they buy the albums, but they are also the ones who go out and get the bootlegs. I don't discourage bootlegging, I like playing live, I don't think it hurts my album sales at all if there are bootlegs out there. Who cares?
I've seen myself on those lists of the 100 best guitarists, and if they think that I'm that good, thank them. Thank God for them. But I don't think so.
Jet, I can almost remember their funny faces
If you don't own the stage, you shouldn't be in rock n' roll.
There's a new hit rock group or singer every five minutes, but with country music, you have one hit and those people love you forever.
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