Left, Flavor Flav and Chuck D
In the 1930s, the name commonly used to describe individuals whose activities are seen as a threat became the name of a controversial African-American hip-hop group in the late 80s, as ‘Public Enemy.’
How did this musical group that later became so famous revolutionize racist America through their music? And what role did they play in bringing African-Americans, or Black people in general, this far before the continuation of the 'Black Lives Matter' force?
400 years ago, a ship carrying human cargo from Africa landed at the shores of the United States of America. Decades after the abolition of slavery, physical and psychological abuse, and denial of freedom and equal opportunities, African-Americans have put the bitter memories of slavery behind them to move forward.
Thousands of African-Americans have excelled in a manner that has shocked institutionalized-racist America. Instead of being recommended, camouflaged-democratic-racist America is now killing the African-Americans they brought from Africa to build their colonies with blood, sweat, and tears because they don't want them to be successful.
"God's ways are mysterious," they say; out of the lion carcass, the sweet honey was formed. Surviving the brutal ordeal of slavery through spiritual music, African-Americans now dominate R&B and the hip-hop music scene, which started very early with Public Enemy and Run D.M.C. before inspiring many music groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, Nutty By Nature, and other independent musicians such as LL Cool J, KRS-One, Queen Latifah, and many others.
When Public Enemy made their presence felt in the musical mainstream in the late 1980s, their intention was to seek recognition for the Black man, not only African-Americans. They demonstrated that through the names of their music: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, Rebel without a Pause, and, most famously, Fight
the Power.
The politically conscious and eloquent Carlton
Douglas Ridenhour, popularly known as Chuck D, with William Jonathan Drayton, better known as Flavor Flav (no longer with the group), expressed the oppression and persecution of Black people, or African-Americans, through music, despite the victories of the Civil Rights movement in the 60s.
The group, through the video 'Can't Truss It,' showed how the slave masters abused their power and cruelly dehumanized and raped African-American women, slaves. The music group 'Public Enemy,' itself, wasn't violent, but the message of the music was sharper than a double-edged sword. In reality, their music changed and improved the lives of African-Americans in a way they weren't expecting.
Public Enemy's 'Fight The Power' music video is an example of the cry for justice that has eluded African-Americans in a so-called democratic America.
Since the eruption of demonstrations after the brutal murder of George Floyd, Google, the owner of YouTube, has denied the access of showing the videos of Public Enemy on other platforms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PaoLy7PHwk
The African-Americans music group, 'Public Enemy'
However, a movement under the slogan 'Black Lives Matter,' which exists but has been inactive for some time, suddenly jumped in to continue the similar work of Public Enemy, following the murder of the African-American, George Floyd, by white racist police, spreading to Europe and other countries around the globe.
African-Americans still have a long way to go, but if, through civil rights movements, organizations, and music, they have reached so far, then the victory of collapsing the built-in institutional racism in America is much closer than expected.
African-Americans, or Black people in general, shall overcome.
