“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is a quote that has been running through my mind a lot lately, and even more so since the events of January 6th. Those words have served as an anchor to my mind, helping me not to drift into the seas of despair. Over the past few years, our nation has often displayed its worst nature. Whether it be police brutality towards minorities, the deliberate cruelty of the Trump administration towards immigrant families, or too many other issues to name, it would be easy to lose faith in mankind.
In spite of all this madness, there is reason for hope. I still believe that the majority of our nation is good at heart, and many more have been speaking out as of late. Whether it be Black Lives Matter, those who voted against Trump, or the myriad of other ways people have showed kindness and love during these trying times, it helps reinforce the truth in MLK’s words.
I do think that while the arc does bend toward justice, it is all of our duties to grab a hold of that arc with all our might and help it bend. The songs in today’s Monday Mixteen all speak to issues of moral and social justice, as well as the concept of hope. Please take a moment to listen, and I mean truly listen, to these songs. May they help inspire each of us to do our part to bend the arc.
- “Black Like Me”, Mickey Guyton
- “Eulogy”, Blake Vaughn
- “Need a Release”, The Cut Off
- “Dead Men Can’t Cat Call”, Lizzie Boredom
- “Some Kind of Understanding”, John Earle Mainord
- “Tear Down That Wall”, The Bright Light Social Hour
- “Orlando”, Emmeline
- “War”, Henry the Archer
- “Atatiana”, Tornup (ft. Phil Ford)
- “Reset”, Cut Throat Finches
- “Dear Society”, Bree & The Fellas
- “Just Stop”, Remy Reilly
- “Up in the Clouds”, Sarah Jarosz
- “Still Alive”, Bobby Sessions
- “Too Much to Lose”, Ray Prim
- “If Not Us Then Who”, Power Trip
- “Carnival Barker”, Vanessa Peters
- “End of Days”, Claudia Gibson