The Power of Words and Music: Using Creativity to Challenge Social Injustice"

Beyoncé sings, “I’m a Survivor “. Nina Simone sings, “I got life”. Maya Angelou writes, “and still, I rise”. These strong, powerful women speak a language of ownership. Fiercely proud and independent, yet unafraid to be vulnerable, this is something I aspire to in both music and writing fiction. The proud and independent part is easy. The exposure of vulnerability? That’s where the challenge lies for me.

If women express any emotion that is deemed negative, their whole persona becomes associated with negativity. There seems to be a ‘right’ way and a ‘wrong’ way to express displeasure, disappointment, jealousy, despair or any other not so pleasant emotion. America Ferreira’s speech in the film Barbie expressed this beautifully. This judgment is stunting. It has previously paralysed me and prevented me from writing what I really want to write about.

In the late 90s, I was signed to a small, independent label, and was fortunate enough to be given free rein in terms of what I produced. However, when working with other labels and male A&R reps, I was told “your lyrics make you sound bitter” and “nobody wants to dance to songs about struggle”. This, coupled with comments like, “well, she’s not black, but she’s not white, how do we market her?” while I’m stood in the room, made me so disillusioned with the industry I left for 10 years, certain there was no place for me in it.

Fast forward to 2015 and I realised how much I missed making music. However, the time in between was not wasted. I decided to write a novel. I took all the emotion I wasn’t “allowed” to put into songs and put it into a story instead. Changing mediums helped me to access my voice again. I could write about my experiences as a mixed heritage woman. I could explore the relationships between cultures as well as between the sexes. It took me 8 years to complete, between having children, completing English degree and retraining to become a teacher.

So am I sorry I took a hiatus from music? No. It gave me space to connect with other mediums that could give me the freedom to express myself in different ways. I have equal amounts of love for both and often flit between the two, depending upon where my mood takes me.

Going back to the iconic women I mentioned previously, they may speak to all women, as we have all had to survive patriarchy, but it is important not to forget or dismiss the fact they are speaking from a black woman’s perspective too. It is this that helps other black woman feel visible. And it is this that I want for my mixed heritage sisters. I want readers of my work or listeners of my songs to feel visible. That is my aim. And I will keep working towards it. Vulnerability is unavoidable when I’m undertaking this work, so I’m learning to make peace with it. And instead of agreeing with those people who say I sound “bitter” or “aggressive”, I say “okay”. Then I keep writing.