Letter to the free is a music video which possesses cultural and social significance.
Common is an Oscar and Grammy award winning hip/hop rap artist who wrote Letter to the Free as a soundtrack to The 13th – a documentary by Ava DuVernay named after the American 13th amendment and is stated laws which seem to discriminate against impoverished ethnic minorities who are then more likely to be convicted of a crime and imprisoned. It is related to the context of a variety of social and cultural movements aimed at raising awareness of racism and its effects in US society.
Awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, Common’s “Letter to the Free” speaks out against a justice system which helps to perpetuate the terrible inequality endured by many African Americans.
Common is an advocate for criminal justice reform and is the founder of Imagine Justice, a non-profit organisation dedicated to “empowering communities and fighting injustice wherever it appears”.
Youth Cultural as Political Protest
The political, personal and cultural are always intertwined.
Overt political protest is uncommon. When it occurs, it often results in a backlash. Even if overt political protest does results in changes in legislation, it won’t necessarily change public
opinion. Culture is what influences people’s hearts, minds and opinions. This is the site of popular change.
Cultural Hegemony: power, rule, or domination maintained by ideological and cultural means.
Cultural hegemony functions by framing the ideologies of the dominant social group as the only legitimate
ideology. The ideologies of the dominant group are expressed and maintained through its economic, political, moral,
and social institutions. Oppressed groups believe that the social and economic conditions of society are natural and
inevitable, rather than created by the dominant group
Prison is a business, America’s the company
Investing in injustice, fear and long suffering – I have chosen to use this quote of the song to illustrate how Common wants to create a non-profit organisation dedicated to “empowering communities and fighting injustice wherever it appears”.
Black bodies being lost in the American dream – This is also a good quote to use as it refers to the racism and slavery that Black people suffer in.