Antiracist Activist Profile: Gil Scott-Heron By, Matthew Maneri

Story  Gil Scott-Heron was a spoken-word poet, soul, and jazz musician who was renown for his political lyrics and calls for revolution  He was born in Chicago in 1949,raised in Tennessee, and moved to the Bronx when he turned 12.  He attended the historically black college Lincoln University, because it was where his idol Langston Hughes went.  Upon graduation, Scott-Heron returned to New York where he recorded and released his first album Small Talk at 125 th and Lennox in  Scott-Heron remained active in music until his death in 2011, influencing countless artists in multiple genres

Social Analysis  Many of Gil Scott-Heron’s songs describe the affects of institutional racism and its root causes.  In “Home is Where the Hatred Is”, Scott-Heron tells the story of drug addicted man living in a poverty stricken area who is desperate to get out  Scott-Heron explores an origin of institutional racism in “Whitey on the Moon,” a poem about the US Government spending their money on sending astronauts into space rather than on social programs to aid the country’s poor  While he doesn’t directly point out someone responsible, Scott- Heron was too subtle of a writer to do that, a state sponsored system of white supremacy seems to be held the most accountable for institutional racism

Solution  Gil Scott-Heron was a radical and revolutionary artist, and he proposes a solution to institutional racism in his most famous poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”  In an interview given to PBS in the 1990’s, Scott-Heron explained his message by saying “the first change has to take place in your mind….the thing that is going to change people is something that will never be captured on film.”  You can read the poem as Scott-Heron saying that television is just a distraction from the action that must be taken to change society, and in this case to change institutional racism’s influence.

Social Change Strategies  In his song “Johannesburg,” Scott-Heron says “we all need to be struggling, If we're gonna be free,” advocating the anti- apartheid protests  Protest is a direct form of action to show willingness to a cause, which Scott-Heron saw as a way to change the world.

Rhetorical Strategies  Gil Scott-Heron, naturally as a recording artist, used the lyrics to his songs and words of his poems to get across his message of social change and revolution  His lyrics depict images of the affects of poverty and racism  By using the power of music to send a message, Scott-Heron shows a understanding of ethos as an influencing force

Capacity of Impacting Change  Gil Scott-Heron’s music and poem has been incredibly important in the development of many artists. His socially concious lyrics inspired rappers like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Kendrick Lamar  His songs have been sampled very frequently in hip-hop, including artists such as Kanye West, Common, and Drake  The music is loved for its social message advocating for radical change which has resonated with artists and listeners of different generations.  A weakness of Scott-Heron’s is that his music is not as commercially accessible as compared to other artists.

Vision  Although he doesn’t come out and say it directlyon “I Think I’ll Call it Morning,” the song can be seen as a reflection on his positive outlook regarding the future  The song is also one of the few optimistic tracks featured on album full of sharp social criticism  One can interpret the line “I know there ain't no sense in crying, yeah I think I'll call it morning, from now on” as Scott-Heron overcoming all the trouble he sees around him by staying positive.

Works Cited  Gil Scott-Heron. Small Talk at 125 th and Lennox. Flying Dutchman, LP  Gil Scott-Heron. Pieces of a Man. Flying Dutchman, LP  Gil Scott-Heron. From South Africa to South Carolina. Arista, LP  Sisario, Ben. "Gil Scott-Heron, Voice of Black Protest Culture, Dies at 62." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 May Web. 25 Apr  Grow, Kory. "Posthumous Gil Scott-Heron LP 'Nothing New' Set for Record Store Day." Rolling Stone. N.p., 02 Apr Web. 25 Apr  “’The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ - Gil Scott-Heron." YouTube. MediaBurn/PBS, 21 Apr Web. 25 Apr