This Powerful New Music Video About Mass Incarceration Will Give You Chills

“We are in a time of transformation…from Ferguson to New York City to Washington…people are absolutely refusing to assent to racist violence.” —Angela Davis

Here’s a captivating anthem that brilliantly captures why the movement against mass incarceration and police brutality is so important.

Puerto Rican vocalist and activist Taina Asili teams up with Chicano poet and community organizer Michael Reyes for this track with lively rhythms and inspiring chants.

The video is an empowering vision of what freedom really means, featuring poet Amani Olugaba as both a modern-day protester and a runaway slave. It shares some sobering statistics, including the US’ numbers as the world leader in incarceration, and the fact that there are more black people under correctional supervision now than were enslaved in 1850.

These parallels are disturbing to watch – but it’s a reminder of the power we have to fight to set ourselves free.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

To learn more about this topic, check out:

• If Our Freedom is Criminal, We Must Change the Laws
• We’re Done ‘Asking Nicely’ – Why Disruptive Protests Are Necessary for Justice

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Taína Asili is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and bandleader combining powerful vocals with an energetic fusion of Afro-Latin, reggae and rock. Residing in Albany, NY, Taína Asili performs her social justice songs as a solo artist, and also with her a six-piece band, Taína Asili y la Banda Rebelde, bringing love, resistance, and ancestral remembrance to venues, festivals, conferences and political events across the globe. Taína Asili has performed at many well-known festivals and venues, sharing the stage with renowned artists such as Talib Kweli, Ursula Rucker, Sonia Sanchez, Paula Cole, Pamela Means, and The Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars. Check out more of her work on her website and via Twitter @tainaasili.