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if all i was was black

tl;dr;

I follow Stephen King on twitter. I have been reading him since Carrie in 1972, so that’s no surprise. Tonight he tweeted:

I love the Staple Singers, so, I did.

Apparently, Mavis released an album in 2017 and this song was on it.

If all I was was black
Looking at you, you might look past

All the love I give (Got love to give)
I’ve got natural gifts (Got natural gifts)
Got a perspective (Got a perspective)
Might make your shift (The way you look at it)

The message of this song speaks so loudly to me. “If all I was was black, you wouldn’t see my humanity.” You wouldn’t know that I love. That I am loved. That I am lovable. That I care about my neighbors. That I fear for my family, and my country. That I hope we will transcend the evil that surrounds us.

A friend of 30 years is gay. He has spoken out before against the bigots who shout, “Sodomite!” “Who are you to reduce me to a single sexual act? I am a human! I love! I make the same vows as you! I share the same intimacy and connection with my same-sex spouse that you do with your opposite-sex spouse!”

This song is a breath of fresh air. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if you didn’t, try some vintage Staples Singers.

 

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