King Still King

I think that Martin Luther King Jr. is still important in today's society and hasn't been forgotten.  He is remembered for all he did for civil rights and making all citizens in America equal. President Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act into law was the direct result of Dr. King's actions along with other prominent civil rights activists. His message is one of peaceful civil disobedience and protesting, and people are still inspired today by this. I think that he is not really relevant nowadays along the lines of dealing with racism, which is a good thing. I think most people really don't need to worry about racism in our every day life interacting with others (at least what I see in Chicago). One thing about racism that I randomly thought of while writing this (as an inbound college student) is what would Dr. Kings views be on Affirmative Action. My personal view on it are that it is a blatantly racist policy. For those of you that don't know what Affirmative Action is, it is a set of quotas saying that certain percentages of people should be specific races in the workplace or school to ensure diversity. Within the current education system, AA makes it easier for minorities to get into schools if they have the same scores as white kids, purely based on their race. This is racist against every party and race included. AA is saying that if there is a certain standard for whites for a certain school, minorities should be let in with more leniency respective to their grades and scores to make the school more diverse. For one, these schools are insinuating that minorities aren't as smart as whites, which is completely false and racist. Here at Whitney Young and around the world, some people are smarter than others because they just are, they have something in their brains that works better than others. This has absolutely nothing to do with race or skin color, and I think there shouldn't even be a spot to show what race one is on application forms. I know intelligent and dumb people of all races, and what race they are has nothing to do with intelligence. I personally think Dr. King would be opposed to this policy, as he advocated an equal playing field for everyone, and saying some should be accepted over others based on race is preposterous.  I think we should always remember what Dr. King did and accomplished, and try to view everybody as equals no matter their skin color.

A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke












We Shall Overcome - Pete Seeger

The Wanderer.

Zooropa album cover

Johnny Cash in 1993

U2 in 1993

One song that I have recently discovered, and one that I believe to be exceptional is "The Wanderer," by U2. It was first released in 1993, on their eighth album, "Zooropa". The whole album was a break from their distinct, post-punk, new wave, and 80's sound to a more electronic and alternative rock sound, which they started to dabble in with their previous album, "Achtung Baby." But this blog isn't about the whole album, (definitely not one of my favorite U2 albums), lets get to "The Wanderer." It is the closing track off the album, and is one of the most distinct songs in the U2 catalogue, because none of the band members sing lead vocals on the song. Who does then? Many of you most likely ask. Get ready for the big surprise. Johnny Cash. Bang! Bet you didn't see that coming. U2 asked the 61 year old country legend to lend his famous baritone voice to what I believe is U2's and Cash's best song. The main underlying sound is a synthesised bassline delivered by bassist Adam Clayton. One can also hear the faint drumming of Larry Mullen and a muted acoustic guitar in the background. The Edge (U2's guitar played) provides harmonizing background vocals throughout the whole song, and in the middle of the song, delivers a short guitar solo. Bono doesn't come in until the very end, delivering a country-like yodel to finish off the song. The title fits in with Johnny Cash's "outlaw country" persona, and also with how he is aging, with less and less people listening to his music, he becoming a wanderer himself in the faster growing world of the 1990's. The lyrics are very graphic and descriptive, talking about a man searching and wandering in a kind of post-apocalyptic world for someone, what I believe to be a woman, heard in the lyric "yeah I went with nothin', nothin' but the thought of you, I went wandering" and later "I went with nothin, but the thought you'd be there too, looking for you." He has with him a bible and a gun, which I think incorporates both Bono's and Cash's religiousness. While wandering, the narrator says he is also looking for another person, just one good man left. No matter your interpretation of the song, I think it has just a great sound with some nice vocals, and recommend it to all. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-dZvQxYX1g