We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue Analysis

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How Music Helped Form the Black Identity

Music has had an overwhelming influence on the African American community, as well as American society as a whole. To African Americans, music is expressed as more than just lyrics and instrumentals; it is a culture. Since their arrival to the United States, music has helped influence and uplift the black community by speaking up for centuries of exploitation and providing a voice to a marginalized community. Music has provided a platform for artists to express their opinions about society, the government, and the treatment of African Americans by people in power. Through music, African Americans have redefined what it means to be black. To combat the racism and the stereotypes given to African Americans …show more content…

This song is a call to action for people of color to realize that they are more than the characteristics given to them by the oppressing group. “We people who are darker than blue, are we gonna stand around this town and let what others say come true? We’re just good for nothing, they all figure. A boyish, grown-up, shiftless jigger. Now we can’t hardly stand for that…” In this song, Mayfield is addressing the poor race relations in the United States and he is implying that African Americans need to take a stand or else things will not change. This song was released in the 1970s, two years after the end of the civil rights movement. As blackness slowly began to integrate into “white society” there continued to be backlash. We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue was created as a form of encouragement. For people of color to realize that they truly are worth more than what they have been made out to be. This song compliments the self-love movement that arose within the African American community during the civil rights movement. Songs such as this helped more African Americans to start to love the person that they saw in the mirror. Instead of altering their natural image to better assimilate into society, this song helped African Americans embrace the skin that they were born in. Mayfield ends the song by saying “[but] let us not be so satisfied for tomorrow can be an even brighter day.” This signifies that African Americans can never be content with their treatment in society until the day comes where all races are truly

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