In honor of Black History Month, singer/songwriter/producer Ty Dolla $ign (real name Tyrone Griffin) scribes his thoughts about using the Internet as a vehicle for social change. No blase here — the L.A. rep reflects on his incarcerated brother, TC and the social media campaign that connected him to his fans, and being onstage for the Million Man March.
In celebration of Black History Month, I thought it was fitting to write a personal essay on the importance of being vocal about racial issues in the Internet generation. This is the age of the Internet — millennials have the power at their fingertips.
Related
The Internet is the vehicle we’re driving to share our visuals, outrage and ideas around the world. I’ve personally experienced two life-changing moments this year through call-to-action movements on social media.
Black History Month: Bun B Explains His Reaction to Stacey Dash’s Controversial Comments
For those of you that don’t know, the reason I named my album Free TC is because my lil’ brother is named TC. He’s locked up for something that he didn’t do and what I’m trying to do is just raise awareness around the whole mass incarceration thing going on in our country, especially with our people.
There’s a whole social-racial-injustice issue that’s also going on. I wanted to create a movement on social media around my album release — every Friday I’d drop a new track and hashtag it #FreeMyHomiesFriday with photos of locked up loved ones. Almost instantly, photos, messages and dedications began to pour in with the hashtag. I was moved to see so many people relate to my story. The music created a space for an open dialog that was accessible to everyone because of the Internet.
Black History Month: Lecrae on Using the Past as a Tool to ‘Learn, Heal & Progress’
We’re changing the world with this album — it’s more than just dope music.
The second moment was witnessing The Million Man March 20th Anniversary, online and in person! I was onstage — it was beautiful. It was real.
First of all, I met with Minister Louis Farrakhan a couple of months before the Million Man March and he told me that he wanted me to come down. I remember watching the first Million Man March as a kid and I always knew that if I got a chance to go to one, I would go.
Black History Month: Rapsody & MC Lyte Discuss Being a Woman of Color in Hip-Hop
The images on social media were so powerful. I flew all the homies out there and Farrakhan put us right there on the stage with him in the front row and we learned something. We learned a lot but I didn’t realize how impactful it was until I saw the images from the march on the Internet, being viewed and discussed around the world.
Now I know we have the power to incite change through the Internet — keep sharing our stories, our dreams and our struggles.