Soundtrack to Impact, Vol. 4: Say It Loud: The Dignity of Pride
The Song
Artist(s): James Brown
Release date: 1968
The Story
In 1968, four months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while freedom fighters, activists, and revolutionaries were reeling from his death, James Brown released a song—an anthem that aided the rise of the Black Power Movement. A declaration that continued violence against Black bodies would not cause fear or subjugation but would instead be met with self pride.
Pride is a tricky word. It's one of the most misunderstood words. It can restore one's dignity: taking pride in one's work, achievements, or family. Pride has also been wielded by some as a justification for exclusion, fueling the idea that to hold oneself in high regard requires holding another lower. Pride, however, in the context of James Brown's "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud," served as a reminder that those with authority, influence, and power may be participants in discrimination, but they can never possess the essence of another person's dignity.
Throughout history, people have used language to define themselves and others, taking ordinary words and weaponizing them to reach an end goal. An enslaved person being defined as proud for fighting to be free, a woman being called bossy for speaking up, undocumented residents being defined as aliens or illegal. Yet Brown's anthem challenges one to stand tall and speak out loud that they are proud of who they are, that their work is worth acknowledging, and that their input holds value.
Brown illustrates the struggles of his audience and their desire to continue to work hard AND see fruit of that labor comparable to the input. As he educates some and empowers others, dignity and the right to define oneself anchors his message. Brown acknowledges the worth, discipline, and dedication of Black people while affirming the desire to be recognized in the long fight for equality.
Why say it loud? Why not whisper it? Why not keep uncomfortable political things that impact some more than others swept under the rug? There is power when one speaks a thing. We’ve heard “faith comes by hearing" and it's true. Lupyan, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin, states that saying a thing out loud "helps you…visualize the object, enabling you to actually see it better." One only needs to read the lyrics to feel the depth with which Brown wanted his audience to embrace the statement they were shouting. Pride was never us versus them. It was always speak, feel, see.
While this song was written as an anthem for the Black community during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" remains relevant to all. As individuals and groups continue fighting to be seen, appreciated, and valued. I encourage you to take a moment, define yourself, and say it loud!