In 1939, Billie Holiday performed the song “Strange Fruit” in protest of the escalating levels of racism that were prevailing in the United States which saw mostly black men being lynched and badly beaten by white Americans as the struggle for civil and equal rights gained momentum there.
The song which was originally a poem speaks to the many injustices committed against black Americans who most times could not benefit in any way from the then crooked and unfair justice system which favoured whites and worked against minorities and immigrants of colour.
In short, the song which has been covered countless times by black activists and celebrities makes the point that ‘Black Lives Matter’ as it encouraged a reshaping of not only divisive, unfair and racist politics in the US but championed the need for judicial reform and social justice.
The song along with many other artistic works, and the voice as well as actions of many civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King led the struggle for equality, justice and an end of racism in the US for decades with significant progress being recorded at various points in the movement.
Sadly, the progress recorded has not been enough for there to be a permanent resolution to the problems which have been eating away at the moral and social fabric of the American society.
The recent shooting to death of two black Americans – Alton and Philando – by Police have brought the issue of racism in the US back into sharp focus.
After all, statistics show that for 2016 over 123 blacks have been killed by police so far and the figures may very well climb over the remaining months if there are no significant reforms or a complete shift in psyche of White Americans and those who propel the notion of ‘race supremacy’.
Already, the outrage is growing following these shootings and with the US Presidential Race in full swing, issues related to gun violence, police brutality and killing of blacks for minor offences and immigration are taking centre stage.
In fact, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been forced to address the shootings and recent acts of domestic terrorism in the US.
The truth is, there is need for systemic change in the US that promotes higher levels of religious tolerance, racial equality and national unity. The laws there need to be changed to end the protectionism of police and other public servants who continue to take the lives of innocent black men and women because of perceived fears about their culture and intent whenever there is an encounter.
It is therefore necessary for blacks rights activists and politicians to place pressure on those States within the US that continue to use discriminatory and archaic laws to marginalise blacks, Muslims and people of colour in a bid to protect the interests of whites.
All lives matter and at the end of the day, the US must live up to its reputation of being a country which is the land of “opportunities” for all. The framers of its legislative and judicial polices must understand the importance of equity and social justice and its implications on the notions of inclusivity and freedom.
Many other countries will be looking to the US for examples as to how to deal with the recurring issue of racism in this modern age, especially small Caribbean countries like Guyana which have been grappling to put an end to its own problems related to racial divisiveness.
While there is a different brand of racism taking place within this hemisphere, countries like Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago can ill afford to miss the lessons from the American experience as they seek to devise laws and other constitutional remedies that could result in an improvement in the race relations between East Indians, Africans and their Indigenous counterparts.
In conclusion, America cannot afford to return to the period where “strange fruit” was in abundance nor afford to continue the senseless shedding and wastage of the blood of her black citizens. The earth must not be enriched by the blood of humans who are cut down in their prime because of the inaction of others and their refusal to listen to the voices of those who are minorities and being marginalised.
