Black Rage
Ms. Lauryn Hill Lyrics

Black Rage is founded on two-thirds a person
Black Rage stems from the history of Black people being considered two-thirds of a human being in the United States constitution and having to suffer through oppression and violence.

Rapings and beatings and suffering that worsens
The atrocities of rape, beatings, and other forms of violence continue to oppress Black people and make their situation worse.

Black human packages tied up in strings
Black people are packaged and tied up stereotypically as inferior and inhumane, based on societal constructs.

Black rage can come from all these kinds of things
All of these negative experiences pile upon Black people and can result in Black Rage.

Black rage is founded on blatant denial
Black Rage is established on the tendency of society to refuse to acknowledge and address systemic oppression and then act oblivious to the concerns or proof of the struggle for racial equity.

Squeezed economics, subsistence survival
Oppressive economic policies keep Black people in substandard subsistence conditions that foster Black Rage.

Deafening silence and social control
The silence of society and its oppressive policies it creates foster Black Rage.

Black rage is founded on wounds in the soul
Black Rage is shaped by emotional injuries that include feelings of betrayal and disappointment.

When the dogs bit
Referencing the use of attack dogs on peaceful protestors during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.

When the beatings
Violent assaults like beatings are an aspect of oppression that contributes to Black Rage.

When I'm feeling sad
Describes the emotional impact that discrimination and racism can have on people that leads to Black Rage.

Black rage is founded: who fed us self-hatred
Black Rage is fostered by the system that continuously feeds Black people with self-doubt and hate due solely to their race.

Lies and abuse, while we waited and waited
Exposing the repeated pattern of Black people expecting justice and the responsible parties refusing to either apologize or be held accountable.

Spiritual treason, this grid and its cages
Even religious values can be corrupted by a system that puts people in positions of power and reinforces stereotypes to keep Black people oppressed.

Black rage is founded on these kind of things
All forms of oppression, subjugation and marginalization make Black Rage ever-present.

Black rage is founded on draining and draining
References the repeated oppression that leaves Black people feeling drained and exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Threatening your freedom to stop your complaining
Oppressors try to curb Black people's voices and speaking out against their subjugation by threatening their freedom.

Poisoning your water while they say it's raining
The oppressive system controls the narrative it feeds Black people and creates a false reality where something ugly (poisoning) is presented in a palatable way (rain).

Then call you mad for complaining, complaining
Oppressors name-call, reproach, and criticize Black people for speaking out against the inequities they face, hence making them feel mocked and senseless in their complaints.

Old time bureaucracy drugging the youth
Institutions such as school systems serve to further suppress Black people by limiting opportunities and altering the narrative that's being taught to the younger generation.

Black rage is founded on blacking the truth
The truth is often buried and the stories of Black people are continuously being suppressed leading to Black Rage.

Murder and crime, compromise and distortion
People in power distort the truth, which perpetuates the oppression; this same group then blames and criminalizes Black people themselves because of the situation they find themselves in.

Sacrifice, sacrifice who makes this fortune?
People in power maintain their wealth and status on the suffering and exploitation of Black people for their benefit.

Greed, falsely called progress
The need for more and more profit is labeled progress, even when it's made on the backs of others, contributing to Black Rage.

Such human contortion, black rage a portion
Black Rage is one aspect of how society is warped and twisted, deforming human relationships and systems.

So when the dogs bit
Referencing the use of attack dogs on peaceful protestors during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.

When the beatings
Violent assaults like beatings are an aspect of oppression that contributes to Black Rage.

And when I'm feeling sad
Describes the emotional impact that discrimination and racism can have on people that leads to Black Rage.

I simply remember all these kinds of things and then I don't fear so bad
Remembering that these atrocities have been survived before can encourage one to press forward with hope and resolute perseverance in the face of oppression.

Free enterprise, is it myth or illusion?
Freedom and opportunity are exaggerated and not accessible by everyone, hence shedding light on the fact that the concept of free enterprise is false for everyone.

Forcing you back into purposed confusion
The system deliberately causes confusion for Black people by playing on their fears, anxieties and doubts.

Black human trafficking or blood transfusion?
The reference to human trafficking juxtaposes slavery to modern-day oppression, emphasizing the fact that some aspects of slavery remain in place, both in the US and internationally.

Black rage is founded on these kinds of things
All forms of oppression, subjugation, and marginalization make Black Rage ever-present.

Victims of violence both psyche and body
Victims of direct or indirect violence experience both physical and psychological harm that contribute to Black Rage.

Life out of context is living ungodly
Another shot at the oppressive system: people are marginalized so much that they can't develop their context and their livelihoods turn out to be incongruous and immoral.

Politics, politics
The game we all lose, in the game of politics, there are no winners, only two kinds of losers.

Greed falsely called wealth
Similar to previous mentions, greed that capitalizes on the oppressive system is not a sign of wealth, but rather the foundation of Black Rage.

Black rage is founded on denial of self
Denying Black people their sense of identity and personhood perpetuates the cycle of Black Rage.

So when the dogs bit
Referencing the use of attack dogs on peaceful protestors during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.

When the beatings
Violent assaults like beatings are an aspect of oppression that contributes to Black Rage.

And when I'm feeling sad
Describes the emotional impact that discrimination and racism can have on people that leads to Black Rage.

I simply remember all these kinds of things and then I don't fear so bad
Remembering that these atrocities have been survived before can encourage one to press forward with hope and resolute perseverance in the face of oppression.

So bad
The repetition of this phrase at the end of the song emphasizes the pervasive, devastating impact of institutionalized racism and oppression, which is illustrated throughout the song.