Inspired by CEASEFIRE? Here are some organizations, resources, articles and inspirations that touch upon the issues raised in the song and video.
This list is just a start, and is ever-evolving. We welcome your suggestions.
CEASEFIRE is about gun violence, and legacies of violence against people of color.
I am doing my part to keep alive the memory of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, the parishioners of Emanuel AME, the clubgoers of Pulse, and so many more souls whose names flicker in shadow.
And like many other activists, artists, writers and thinkers, I'm attempting to link our national epidemic of violence with an intersectional tapestry of physical, cultural, economic and spiritual oppression of people of color — some reaching back decades, centuries, millennia and beyond.
And then, of course, there are the guns — which don't just affect people of color: all American bodies are exposed to this epidemic. Gun violence does not discriminate, but it does hit communities of color the hardest, making all of the above issues inordinately harder to resolve.
In my opinion, our nation is awash in guns. It is a public health crisis. It's not just the media-saturated mass shootings — it's the accidental deaths of children in bedrooms, the gun suicides, the street homicides, and so on.
Other countries with cultures similar to ours — notably, Australia and the UK — have taken decisive steps towards healing these crises. We can too.
Yes, we have a 2nd Amendment. But there is so, so much we can do, on so many levels, to turn the tide of this epidemic of violence.
I'll be writing more about these intersectional issues in future posts.
Hi, friends. Kid B here.
I'm proud to announce the release of my new video: CEASEFIRE.
CEASEFIRE is about gun violence, and legacies of violence against people of color.
We recorded the song and the video this month — after the tragic events in Orlando. And Dallas. And Baton Rouge, Ferguson, Staten Island, Charleston...
This is the first new song I've released in a long time. It's raw, fiery blues you can rock out to.
I poured my heart out on the page, into the track, and onto the screen.
Right now there is more momentum around these issues — more possibility for real progress — than there's been in a good long while.
So if CEASEFIRE inspires you:
Share it with your friends. Keep these issues alive in their hearts, minds and screens.
Take action. You can find links to articles, organizations, and inspiration on this very site.
"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls — to arrive at its destination full of hope."
— Maya Angelou
The song will soon be up on all your favorite music services — along with some electro remixes that'll kick this thing into the 22nd century.
And more music is coming.
Take care, and love relentlessly.
Peace,
Kid B
The new documentary Disturbing the Peace tells the riveting story of Combatants for Peace, a group of former enemies — Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters, many of whom served years in prison — who are now committed to non-violent peace activism.
The film won the first-ever Ebert Humanitarian Award, given to films that exemplify humanity and empathy.
The filmmakers chose my song "I Shall Be Free" to play over the closing credits. An allegorical tale of a "soldier of love," the song served as a touchstone for the directors as they shot and edited the film.
I'm honored to be a part of it. The film is a vital, heartbreaking, triumphant portrait of the long, hard path of the peaceful warrior. It will touch and inspire the hearts and actions of many, many people in the years to come.
Keep up on Kid Beyond: