It started as an idea from Valley parent Rachel Braidman. She wrote “This moment in the Black Lives Matter movement is teaching me that I need to educate myself and my children more regularly and more deeply on white privilege and the racial inequalities in our community and our country. I have learned is that I am not DOING enough. However, with the pandemic and the possibility of uncertain violence, I don’t yet feel safe bringing my small children to a large in-person protest. This is when a caravan protest with a live educational radio show about race came to mind. Thankfully, Monte from 93.9 The River was also into the idea! It is important to mention that this event is being organized by white people, however, the live radio show will highlight the music of Black artists (check out the playlist below) and the voices of Black educators”
A huge thanks to our anti-racist educators for the morning: Stephany Marryshow, Simbrit Pakins, Kaliis Smith, Carlie Tartakov, Kent Alexander. You can listen to all they had to say on the radio here.
https://soundcloud.com/939theriver-1/families-for-black-lives-caravan
Here was a preview that aired the day before the caravan with one of our educators, Simbrit Paskins.
And learn about the details on the caravan here.
https://soundcloud.com/939theriver-1/the-families-for-black-lives-caravan-radio-show
Billie Holiday “Strange Fruit”
Michael Kiwanuka “Black Man In A White World”
Ben Harper “Call It What It Is”
Prince “Baltimore”
Gil Scot Heron “The Revolution will Not Be Televised”
Lauryn Hill “Black Rage”
Beyonce “Lift Every Voice/Formation”
Janelle Monae et al “Hell You Talmabout”
Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come”
Cynthia Erivo “Stand Up”
Aretha Franklin “Precious Lord/You’ve Got A Friend”
Kendrick Lamar “Alright”
John Legend & Common “Glory”
Nina Simone “To Be Young Gifted & Black”
Sounds of Blackness “Optimistic”
Tank & The Bangas “What The World Needs Now”
Public Enemy “Fight The Power”
James Brown “Say It Loud.. I’m Black and I’m Proud”
And here is the poem from Crystal Valentine:
