Happy almost Memorial Day Weekend. May 31st is sure to kick off a Summer like no other.
With markets roaring, prices rising, and so much up in the air, it’s going to be interesting to watch the most fortunate, vaccinated countries get back together post-Covid. Quarantine culture is nearly dead in New York and the pent up demand for travel, experiences, live music, and real-world connection is building. I can’t wait for my calendar to start percolating so I can see so many of you IRL again!
But this weekend also marks the centennial of the “Black Wall Street” massacre of 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when more than 70 business in a prosperous Black neighborhood were destroyed in a 24-hour period. Hundreds of residents were killed and more than 1,250 homes were burned to the ground by a heavily armed white mob. It’s one of the worst stories in American history but it was nearly erased from the history books. Thankfully, the story of this tragic but pivotal event re-emerged over the last decade.
Right before Covid hit, I visited Tulsa to meet a bunch of local creatives and witness the making of The Fire In Little Africa. The multimedia project and album is being released this week alongside a series of events in Tulsa.
It’s hard to digest all of the hate that remains in the world. From police brutality and Asian hate to the oppression in the Middle East and the resulting rise in Anti-Semitism, it’s all incredibly sad.
I’m hopeful that there is a path forward. There is so much evolution and growth happening but much of it is limited in reach. It’s scary how things can spiral out of control so fast just about anywhere on Earth.
Music is a powerful medium carrying a message of peace, which is why projects like The Fire in Little Africa are so important.
Music will help define The Summer of 2021; it will help us tell our story; and, hopefully, it will help us heal.
Also published on Medium.