Cee-Lo Green – Cee-Lo Green… Is the Soul Machine (2004)

Learning to be anti-racist

“I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change…I’m changing the things I cannot accept.” – Angela Davis

For years, I have been mistakenly under the impression that ‘racist’ and ‘not racist’ were opposites. I’ve since realized that ‘anti-racism’ is actually the opposite or ‘racism’ & I need to do a better job of being actively anti-racist.

As a starting point, I want to commit to doing two small things every week:

1. Listen & Learn. Share resources that I’ve found helpful.
2. Amplify Black Voices. Each Wednesday, feature a Black Artist from the 1001 list.

 

So far, I’ve looked at Curtis Mayfield’s There’s No Place Like America Today, The Crusaders’ Street Life, and Cypress Hill’s Cypress Hill.

This week, Cee-Lo Green & his 2004 album, Cee-Lo Green… Is the Soul Machine.

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[Album 782/1001]

“Yes I can sing, and I can rap
And I can act, and I can dance
And I can dress, sign of the best
So is my guest, man I’m impressed”
Cee-Lo Green (featuring Ludacris), Childz Play

As someone who likes to try to do a little bit of a lot of things, I admire artists that seem to do a bit of everything.

As emphasized by the brief closing track (What Don’t You Do?), that seems to be the case with Cee-Lo Green… Is the Soul Machine.

Better yet, the album is also what it sounds like when someone does a lot of those things well!

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Helpful Resources

Best-sellers are often best-sellers for a reason.

I’m about a quarter of the way through Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How To Be An Antiracist, and it is a compelling read.

In the interview below, his comparison of identifying racism (before healing can begin) to a cancer diagnosis & its necessary ongoing treatment is a powerful conclusion.

(starting at about 14:45)