Americans - Juneteenth/Pride Song of the Day - June 19th

“Hold on, don't fight your war alone
Halo around you, don't have to face it on your own
We will win this fight
Let all souls be brave
We'll find a way to heaven
We'll find a way”

Everyone’s invited to Janelle Monae’s party.

With shout outs to every and all 

Marginalized populations -

Blacks, Latinos, other persons of color,

Women, the LGBTQ+ community and white folks living in poverty - 

Janelle speaks out for the whole team: We’re Americans, and we won’t quit until there is freedom, justice, and equality for all.

“Just love me baby
Love me for who I am
Fallen angels
Singing: "clap your hands"
Don't try to take my country
I will defend my land
I'm not crazy, baby, naw
I'm American
I'm American
I'm American
I'm American.”

All men are created equal.

Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. 

Unalienable rights.

Ideals the United States was founded on - but has not yet achieved. So long as this is the case, we need truth spoken to power. 

When Janelle dropped “Ameicans,” in 2018 as the closing track to her Grammy nominated, critically acclaimed album, “Dirty Computer” - voted the top album of the year by numerous publications, including NPR, the New York Times and the Associated Press - it was a socio-political rally cry and rousing benediction to her masterwork. 

It was a national anthem for those harmed by injustice and inequality:

“Let me help you in here
Until women can get equal pay for equal work
This is not my America
Until same gender loving people can be who they are
This is not my America
Until black people can come home
From a police stop without being shot in the head
This is not my America
Until poor whites can get a shot at being successful
This is not my America
I can't hear nobody talkin' to me…”

Juneteenth is about celebration. 

Pride is about celebration.

But neither is about arrival. 

Neither Juneteenth or Pride celebrate what has been made complete, but rather, utilize celebration as a catalyst for the ongoing fight, celebration as an act of acknowledgement and rebellion against systemic injustices that we still march against here and now.

Because sometimes marching looks like dancing.

Sometimes the fight looks like joy in the face of oppression. 

So as we celebrate Juneteenth and Pride, as we celebrate Freedom, let us do so as a statement, as an act of love, of good trouble, knowing we’re surrounded by the cloud of witnesses who have marched before us “singing: ‘clap your hands,’” and let us each proclaim:

“I’m not crazy, baby. 

I’m American.”

Let freedom ring.

And let justice roll down like a mighty, rushing river.

Check out Janelle’s rousing performance of “Americans” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below, and make sure you pick up a copy of “Dirty Computer,” or Janelle’s BRAND new album, “The Age of Pleasure,” at your local, independent record store!