January 13, 2016 The Skanner Page 11
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
civil rights activist Harry Belafonte
called out two of today’s biggest musi-
cians, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, saying that
cont’d from pg 8
they “turned their back on so-
cial responsibility.” To Belafon-
te, those two megastars and oth-
er popular artists are at fault
for not using their influence to
have a positive impact on their
fans.
As a young person, I agree
with Belafonte: it’s a waste of in-
fluence when famous musicians
don’t speak up. While it doesn’t
necessarily affect whether or
not I will continue listening to
their music, I personally wish
that they would speak at times
when there needs to be some
action.
Hip hop artist Yasiin Bey,
formerly known as Mos Def,
put it best in his monologue
addressing the happenings in
Ferguson: “I think many of us
are becoming even more aware
of where we are, and [there is]
Lauryn Hill performing at RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest, urgency to change this misera-
in Ottawa in 2012. Hill’s song, “Black Rage,” released ble condition on this Earth, [as]
two weeks after the killing of Mike Brown, is part of a Malcolm X said.” (Listen to the
growing musical movement in support of the Black Lives full audio below.)
If all artists spoke up, I truly
Matter movement.
believe that it could wake up
many more young people to de-
speak to an issue Black communities
around the country have been deal- mand change and join causes.
“I think music can play an import-
ing with for centuries. They are remi-
niscent of Nina Simone’s “Mississippi ant role in sparking the motivation
Goddam,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Go- in wanting to do something,” Tandoc
ing On?” and Public Enemy’s “Fight said, while adding, “The long term or-
the Power.” The themes don’t seem to ganizing is where the true power is.”
Deonna N. Anderson writes for Voice-
have changed much since the 1960s or
Waves, a youth-led community news
1980s.
When famous musicians don’t website and trilingual print publica-
tion serving Long Beach, Calif., and
speak out, some people are critical.
A few years ago, singer, actor and founded by New America Media.
PHOTO BY BRENNAN SCHNELL CC BY 2.0 VIA COMMONS
Music
States
cont’d from pg 3
ia and Wyoming, are taking big budget
hits due to falling oil, natural gas and
coal revenue. But tax cuts could be on
the agenda in more than a half-dozen
other states, including Arizona, Flori-
da and Maine.
States’ general revenues are expected
to grow by about 2.5 percent in 2016, ac-
cording to the National Association of
State Budget Officers. As they prepare
their next budgets, “states are still go-
ing to be very pinched” to meet rising
costs for K-12 schools, Medicaid and
core services, said David Adkins, ex-
ecutive director and chief executive of
The Council of State Governments.
Added to the mix will be several
emerging issues, such as how to quell
a rise in opiate addictions and overdos-
es, and whether to extend regulations
to online fantasy sports and to individ-
uals renting rides or lodging through
the “sharing economy.”
Some states also will be wrestling
with unique local issues, including
flood recovery in South Carolina,
whether to keep the Confederate em-
blem on the Mississippi flag, as well
as ethics overhauls following political
scandals in New York, Missouri and
New Mexico.
Influential national groups such as
the American Civil Liberties Union and
the Family Research Council are pre-
paring for a new round of legislative
debates after the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled in June that states must allow
same-sex marriage. Their focus now is
on the effect of that ruling.
There are 22 states with laws barring
discrimination based on sexual ori-
entation and 21 with laws limiting the
government’s ability to burden the free
exercise of religion. But just four states
— Connecticut, Rhode Island, Illinois
and New Mexico — have both.
The ACLU will be seeking to expand
the list of places barring discrimina-
tion based on sexual orientation and
gender identity. It’s targeting at least
a half dozen states — Arizona, Florida,
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania — that have Republican-led legis-
latures and also may be pivotal in pres-
idential elections.
The Supreme Court’s decision “cer-
tainly provides momentum on the is-
sue,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Fran-
kel, a Democrat from the Pittsburgh
area who has been unsuccessfully
sponsoring gay rights bills for more
than a decade.
He said challenges remain and point-
ed to a November referendum in which
Houston voters rejected a city ordi-
nance extending nondiscrimination
protections to gay and transgender
people.
The Family Research Council, which
opposed the Houston ordinance, is
supporting state measures that would
grant broad protections “from govern-
ment discrimination” against people
“who have a sincere belief — religious
or not — in natural marriage,” said
Quena Gonzalez, the group’s director
of state and local affairs.
Associated Press reporters in all 50
states contributed to this report.
Follow David A. Lieb at: https://twitter.
com/DavidALieb .