WATCH The Video For 'Freedom,' a Musical Tribute to #BlackLivesMatter
Musician and community activist Taína Asili's new song and video connect #BlackLivesMatter to the history of resistance against slavery.
"Freedom" is a funky and lively track that Asili, the former frontwoman of punk band Anti-Product, created with inspiration from her work as a racial justice and anti-incarceration activist. She now performs with an eight-piece band as "Taína Asili y la Banda Rebelde." The group's sound incorporates Afro-Latin influences, which are evident in "Freedom." Noted Chicano poet Michael Reyes is also featured on the track.
The video for "Freedom" depicts a young Black woman running from police after a protest against mass incarceration. Her flight is intercut with footage of the same actress as a runaway slave, linking what Asili sees as the poignant similarities between the Underground Railroad and contemporary anti-racist activism.
Check out the video and song above.