John Brown was an American abolitionist leader who fought for the equality of all races.
He helped countless slaves reach freedom in his lifelong pursuit of equality, but his use of violence as a necessary tool is highly controversial, even to this day.
Miss an episode in our Frederick the Great Series?
Here is an excerpt from this history news article / news audio:
Though more than a million Black Americans contributed to the war effort, historian Matthew Delmont says a uniform was no protection from racism at home or abroad.
His new book is Half American.
DAVE DAVIES, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. I’m Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross.
When you see movies about World War II and photos of Allied campaigns against the Axis powers, the American military personnel depicted are almost entirely white.
But more than a million Black men and women served in World War II, fighting at Normandy, Iwo Jima and the Battle of the Bulge, and serving in support roles that were critical to the Allies’ success.
Our guest, historian Matthew F. Delmont, has a new book about the African American experience in World War II.
And it isn’t limited to their contributions to the war effort.
Delmont describes the discrimination Black Americans faced in the military and in civilian defense industries, and the brutality many Black servicemen suffered when stationed near white communities that resented their presence.
Delmont writes that African Americans didn’t receive many of the benefits Congress bestowed on service members in the GI Bill, but many were energized and enlightened by their experiences in the war and later became active in the civil rights movement.
Matthew Delmont is the Sherman Fairchild distinguished professor of history at Dartmouth College.
He’s the author of four previous books and has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic and other publications.
His new book is “Half American: The Epic Story Of African-Americans Fighting World War II At Home And Abroad.”
About the album: KRS-One’s first official solo album, Return of the Boom Bap, yielded hit singles “Outta Here” and “Sound of da Police.” The latter has been featured in several films.
WRITERS: Bryan “Chas” Chandler, Alan Lomax, Showbiz, Eric Burdon, KRS‐One
LICENSES:
SME (on behalf of Jive); UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA – UBEM, LatinAutor – UMPG, PEDL, BMI – Broadcast Music Inc., Audiam Canada, LatinAutor – SonyATV, LatinAutorPerf, UMPG Publishing, Audiam (Publishing), UMPI, Warner Chappell, CMRRA, ASCAP, and 19 Music Rights Societies
Chorus: Woop-woop! That’s the sound of da police! Woop-woop! That’s the sound of the beast!
Stand clear! Don man a-talk You can’t stand where I stand, you can’t walk where I walk Watch out! We run New York Police man come, we bust him out the park I know this for a fact, you don’t like how I act You claim I’m sellin’ crack But you be doin’ that I’d rather say “see ya” Cause I would never be ya Be an officer? You wicked overseer! Ya hotshot, wanna get props and be a savior First show a little respect, change your behavior Change your attitude, change your plan There could never really be justice on stolen land Are you really for peace and equality? Or when my car is hooked up, you know you wanna follow me Your laws are minimal Cause you won’t even think about lookin’ at the real criminal This has got to cease Cause we be getting hyped to the sound of da police!
Chorus
Now here’s a little truth Open up your eye While you’re checking out the boom-bap, check the exercise Take the word “overseer,” like a sample Repeat it very quickly in a crew, for example Overseer, overseer, overseer, overseer Officer, officer, officer, officer Yeah, officer from overseer You need a little clarity? Check the similarity! The overseer rode around the plantation The officer is off patrolling all the nation The overseer could stop you what you’re doing The officer will pull you over just when he’s pursuing The overseer had the right to get ill And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill The officer has the right to arrest And if you fight back, they put a hole in your chest! They both ride horses After 400 years, I’ve got no choices The police, they have a little gun So when I’m on the streets, I walk around with a bigger one (Woop-woop!) I hear it all day Just so they can run the light and be upon their way
Chorus
Check out the message in a rough stylee The real criminals are the C-O-P You check for undercover and the one PD But just a mere Black man, them want check me Them check out me car for it shine like the sun But them jealous or them vexed cause them can’t afford one Black people still slaves up til today But the Black police officer nah see it that way Him want a salary Him want it So he put on a badge and kill people for it My grandfather had to deal with the cops My great-grandfather dealt with the cops My GREAT grandfather had to deal with the cops And then my great, great, great, great… when it’s gonna stop?
Chorus
Music
SONG: Sound of da Police
ARTIST: KRS-One
WRITERS: Bryan “Chas” Chandler, Alan Lomax, Showbiz, Eric Burdon, KRS‐One
LICENSES: SME (on behalf of Jive); UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA – UBEM, LatinAutor – UMPG, PEDL, BMI – Broadcast Music Inc., Audiam Canada, LatinAutor – SonyATV, LatinAutorPerf, UMPG Publishing, Audiam (Publishing), UMPI, Warner Chappell, CMRRA, ASCAP, and 19 Music Rights Societies
John Jr's Blog 