I’m so honored to report that the first song given directly to me by the whales (as in: “Sing this”) is featured as the soundtrack for the “Water” video that is part of the Movement for Black Lives’ Red, Black and Green New Deal Initiative (A National Black Climate Agenda - The Red Black and Green New Deal (redblackgreennewdeal.org), which was launched in conjunction with the Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy (Home | GCCLP) last month. As described on the initiative’s site: 

“The Red Black and Green New Deal (RBG New Deal), an initiative of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), puts Black liberation at the center of the global climate struggle, and addresses the impact of climate change and environmental racism on Black communities. This RBG New Deal agenda proposes immediate actions policymakers, corporations, and every day people can do to fortify Black people—especially those most marginalized, such as disabled, chronically ill, transgender, gender-nonconforming, and intersex people—from the uniquely racist practices of the fossil-fuel industry. We are organizing to introduce a National Black Climate Agenda that includes federal legislation to address the climate crisis by investing in Black communities and repairing past harms.”

The initiative centers around 6 focal pillars—water, energy, land, labor economy, and democracy. During the initiative’s launch, a video for each pillar was debuted; you can watch the one for water below. I’m thrilled to have my voice connected to this work because it is directly aligned with the intentions for Whale Whispering—it’s also a gorgeous piece of cinematography. The agenda is both straightforward and thorough, and I encourage everyone reading this to take the time to visit both of the sites linked above and engage with the campaign if you haven’t done so already. 

On a soul level, I feel the ancestors smiling on this development. As I said, this song was given to me; I don’t consider it “mine.” In singing and sharing it in various settings over the past year or so, I’ve come to understand that it has the potential to extend its reach to many, many people, and I love the idea of folks from all walks singing to water with African words, using the same phrase that countless journeyers uttered and sang as they made their way in chains across the Atlantic. For those who haven’t read the original post on the song, check it out here: Omi-O! — Michaela Harrison  for more context.