This Little Light Of Mine

Remember that song we sang back when we were kids?

This week I was reminded of these words and how they have something so powerful to them. So simple yet uplifting! This song, though written in the 1920s as a gospel song for children was later adopted as an anthem during the American civil rights movement.

Even today, I believe that it carries a sort of power, an innocent yet defiant song against injustice. It’s a song that belongs to everybody – a non-violent weapon, a redeeming truth. A claim, ‘I won’t give up, I won’t give in.” It’s a song of protection, a song of courage.

It means– I’m not letting darkness have the last word.

As the protests continue over Black Lives Matter, I’ve been spending a substantial amount of time thinking and talking about it too. Not wanting to just create art about it, but walking the talk. It’s a question many have been asking themselves as well, ‘what can I do to effect change?’.

Discrimination, bias, murder and injustice are a darkness that has oppressed humans since we began to exist. I believe that if we have it in us to cross the line into darkness, then we have it within us to cross back over into the light again. It’s a choice and it’s in our hands. When we choose light over darkness, we let that light shine bright.

Let us not point fingers, choose to be silent or dilute the message, but let us delve deep into how each of us can make the change. Let us stand with our sisters and brothers in the struggle and in the fight.

I’ll leave you with this Tiny Desk Concert by Rev. Sekou and an alt-version of  this versatile song: ‘this little light of mine at 12:55.