Liberation
Dave Greenfield & J. J. Burnel Lyrics

I want to live with no eyes on me
I desire to live without feeling watched or scrutinized by others.

I want to wear braids and be carefree
I wish to have the freedom to style my hair with braids without worrying about negative consequences.

You wear those for fun but oppress me
You, who have a different cultural background, wear braids as a fashion trend without realizing that your privilege allows you to do so without negative repercussions, while I, as a member of a marginalized community, am discriminated against for wearing the same style.

You steal culture and take from us constantly
You constantly appropriate elements of my culture without understanding or respecting their significance, erasing the contributions and struggles from my community.

Constantly, Oh
The appropriation of my culture is a recurring issue that continues to affect my community negatively.

Heartlessly, You
Your actions of cultural appropriation are insensitive, disregard my culture's importance, and do not consider the implications they have in my community.

Angrily I cry out in disbelief
I express my anger and disbelief that cultural appropriation can occur without any accountability or understanding from those who perpetuate it.

Envision all the reasons why we grief
We reminisce about the struggles and hardships that my community faces, which include cultural appropriation and a lack of understanding from those outside it.

Home of the brave, but you're cowardly
Despite being known as the land of the brave, those who practice cultural appropriation display cowardice and a lack of empathy towards those they oppress daily.

Land of the free, but we're hardly free
Despite being a country that prides itself on freedom, people from marginalized communities still face discrimination and oppression daily.

Hardly free, Oh
Members of marginalized communities are not truly free and must face an unfair society.

I wanna be free (Free)
I strive for freedom and equality in a society that often oppresses me.

I don't wanna live my life despondently
I do not desire to live a life filled with despair or discouragement due to the constant oppression that I face.

Prejudice and power, you oppress me
You use your prejudice and power to maintain my oppression and perpetuate systemic inequalities that affect my community.

I don't understand why you wanna be me
I cannot comprehend why you want to adopt and capitalize on elements of my culture when they are used against me every day.

Don't want my skin but you want to be me
You want to imitate my culture but not the struggles caused by social injustices against my community due to the color of my skin.

Want to be (Be)
You desire to embody the aspects of my culture that you find appealing without understanding or acknowledging the culture's significance or experience.

Be Free
All individuals should have the freedom to express themselves authentically and without fear of oppression or discrimination.