2010: “Are We A Nation?”

Sweet Honey in the Rock

The song “ARE WE A NATION?” gave Sweet Honey In The Rock® the opportunity to discuss our views on the complex issues of immigration and to create a vehicle for expressing our outrage about Arizona’s law SB-1070. This law encourages and creates opportunities for hatred, ignorance and prejudice to prevail.” We hope that, “ARE WE A NATION?” will stimulate interest in and conversation about the Arizona law SB-1070 and will foster an understanding of the broad implications of this law. We believe we are a nation that can create laws that bind this nation together rather than tear this nation apart.

PRESS RELEASE

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED A CAPPELLA ENSEMBLE 
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK, FEATURING YONAS TO RELEASE, “ARE WE A NATION?” A RESPONSE TO ARIZONA’S  IMMIGRATION LAW SB-1070 THROUGH SONG

“…I have always believed art is the conscience of the human soul and that artists have the responsibility not only to show life as it is but to show life as it should be. … Sweet Honey In The Rock has withstood the onslaught. She has been unprovoked by the 30 pieces of silver. Her songs lead us to the well of truth that nourishes the will and courage to stand strong. 
She is the keeper of the flame.”
   …Harry Belafonte, artist and activist  

(June 11, 2010 – New York, NY) On April 23, 2010, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed what The New York Times described as “the nation’s toughest bill on illegal immigration…reigniting the divisive battle over immigration reform nationally.” In response to SB-1070 being enacted, the acclaimed women’s a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock, decided to take action and lift her collective voice through song against the bill. The song, ARE WE A NATION?, will be released by Sweet Honey’s independent record label SHE-ROCKS 5 on Tuesday, June 22 via CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com), the nation’s largest online distributor of independent music and should be available on all major online music sites such as iTunes and Amazon.com by June 29. The song’s music video, directed and produced by James Lester, will be released online June 22. A portion of the funds from the sales of ARE WE A NATION? will go to the Center for Community Change. Sweet Honey and the Center will offer a free download of the song on their respective web sites for one week June 14-21 (www.sweethoney.com and www.communitychange.org). Additionally, the single will be available through streaming only atwww.facebook.com/sweethoneyintherock during this time.

Download Complete Press Release


THE STATEMENT on Arizona Law SB-1070

Sweet Honey In The Rock® has joined The SOUND STRIKE and will be listed with other artists who have joined in boycotting Arizona in protest against Arizona Law SB-1070. We feel this law is overtly discriminatory, and will (further) provoke, condone, and legitimize racial profiling within the State of Arizona. This law not only criminalizes (particularly Hispanic) people of color suspected of being undocumented, but also criminalizes citizens who, by fulfilling their duties as ordinary, civil and compassionate human beings, may unknowingly offer assistance to a person or persons who may be undocumented. This law sets a dangerous precedent for other border states, and encourages and hastens the general acceptance and use of racial profiling (by whatever name) in other States across the country.

Sweet Honey In The Rock® has used her songs and the songs of her ancestors to stand against racism and injustice, in support of civil rights for all, in opposition to apartheid in South Africa, and in solidarity with oppressed people throughout the world where greed, racism, hatred and fear abound.  We simply cannot condone Arizona’s law, SB-1070. 

We ask: Are we a nation that will divide and fall? Are we a nation that can, and will heed the call to care about those who (like the ancestors of almost every ethnic group in this country) risk their lives to come here for better opportunities? Are we a nation that will come together to grapple with the complex issues of immigrants and immigration?  Are we a nation that can and will develop and implement fair and appropriate immigration laws and programmatic reforms? We certainly believe that we can write, pass, and implement better legislation than Arizona’s law, SB-1070.


THE SONG: ARE WE A NATION?

Sweet Honey In The Rock® has, since 1973, created musical ways to nurture and empower audiences of all races, genders, persuasions, walks of life and ages; to express outrage and compassion; to document the times, and to preserve and extend African American vocal traditions. We grew out of the Civil Rights Movement, stood and sang in opposition to the apartheid movement in South Africa; we still stand for peace, and we continue to struggle in solidarity with oppressed people throughout the world where greed, hatred and fear abound. We cannot condone Arizona’s law SB-1070.

The song “ARE WE A NATION?” gave Sweet Honey In The Rock®, featuring Yonas, the opportunity to discuss our views on the complex issues of immigration and to create a vehicle for expressing our outrage about Arizona’s law SB-1070. This law encourages and creates opportunities for hatred, ignorance and prejudice to prevail.

We hope that, “ARE WE A NATION?” will stimulate interest in and conversation about the Arizona law SB-1070 and will foster an understanding of the broad implications of this law. We believe we are a nation that can create laws that bind this nation together rather than tear this nation apart.


CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE

SUPPORT THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE, FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR EFFORTS AND PROGRAMS AT www.communitychange.org. If you like the song, please consider making a donation. Text NATION to 69866 to get more information on how you can fight racial profiling in Arizona. Tell your friends to do the same.