Translate

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Call & Response Chants & Unison Chants In New York City Public Advocate Letitia James' Protest Rally Remarks (January 25, 2017)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides an unofficial transcription of remarks that New York City Public Advocate Letitia [Tish] James gave at a January 25, 2017 rally in New York City's Washington Square Park. The purpose of the rally was to oppose President Trump's proposed actions against Muslims, immigrants, refugees, and other vulnerable people in New York City and elsewhere in the United States.

This source of this transcription is a video that is embedded in the Huffington Post article whose link is given below.

The Addendum to this post presents some additional examples of unison or call & response protest chants that were also heard in the video of that New York City protest rally.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, folkloric, and political purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who organized and attended this rally. Special thanks to Public Advocate Letitia James and thanks to all others who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this featured article and this video.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW YORK PROTEST RALLY (January 25, 2017)
From http://www.nyunews.com/2017/01/25/emergency-rally-for-muslim-and-immigrant-rights-held-in-washington-square-park/ Emergency Rally for Muslim and Immigrant Rights Held in Washington Square Park by Jemima McEvoy and Sayer Devlin, January 25, 2017

"At the emergency rally on Jan. 25, New Yorkers came together to show solidarity with the Muslim American and immigrant communities.

Chants of “No ban, no wall, New Yorkers for all” and “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here” echoed across Washington Square Park tonight as the New York chapter of the Council of American Islamic Relation — a civil rights organization — called for love and action from thousands of protesters gathered in solidarity under the arch.

The demonstration is the result of President Donald Trump issuing executive orders on immigration earlier today. The directives will suspend refugees from entering the country for a period of time, halt the issuing of visas from seven Muslim-majority countries, and encourage “immediate construction of a physical wall” on the US-Mexico border. The order will also limit federal funding to sanctuary cities such as New York. More executive orders limiting immigration are expected to be signed in the coming days.”...

****
EXAMPLES OF CHANTS IN THE REMARKS BY TISH JAMES AT NEW YORK PROTEST RALLY (January 25, 2017)
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/protestors-flood-nycs-washington-square-park-in-anticipation-of-muslim-ban_us_58893575e4b0737fd5cb81db Protesters Flood NYC’s Washington Square Park To Oppose Muslim Ban, by Sebastian Murdock , Christopher Mathias, 1/25/2017

This embedded video was posted by Tomorrow, Inshallah.

My unofficial transcription begins at -28.20 and ends at -21.48 and doesn't include most of the rally participants' cheers or other responses.

Additions and corrections to this transcription are welcome.

Muslim woman speaker- "I now have the pleasure of introducing someone who doesn’t need much introduction. New York City Public Advocate Tish James always has our back.

Tish James begins her remarks with a unison chant. Participants soon chant along with her.

"Say it loud
Say it clear
Refugees are here to stay

Say it loud
Say it clear
Immigrants are here to stay

Listen! If you honor the constitution and the bill of rights, and all of you have an obligation whenever you see a government that is lawless, you’ve got an obligation and a duty to do what?- "Resist!"

Rally participants begin to chant along with Tish James after the fourth or fifth time that she says the word "resist".

Resist!, Resist! Resist! Resist!, Resist! Resist! Resist!, Resist! Resist! Resist! Resist!

Take out your phones as the night becomes dark and show the world the light that New York City and this country is a beacon of light. Take out your phones and show them the light that if we are the light light up the night, light up the stars, light up the sky, light up this park, light up this country. We will not fall to darkness. Light up! Light up! Light up because

This is what democracy looks like
(Participants repeat this line)

This is what democracy looks like
(repeat)

This is what America looks like
(repeat)

This is what America looks like
(repeat)

This is what democracy looks like
(repeat)

As we keep our lights in the sky, and as we light up the world, we will not fall to darkness, not now and not ever. We’ve got an obligation and a duty to fight back. Whenever your rights are under attack, Whenever your rights are under attack, you’ve got to stand up and fight back.

And for all of those who are out there who were never part of the civil rights struggle, now this is your civil rights struggle. This is the struggle for all Americans. We’ve gotta join hands and protect the marginalized communities and vulnerable communities just as we protected African Americans in the 60s, we gotta protect those who they’re coming after. We’ve gotta stand with them and rise with them and let them know that this is the America that we love and we’ll fight for it [Some in the crowd chant Fight! Fight! Fight!] and resist any attempt by anyone, by anyone.

And so I say to all of you -we are a city made greater by the blood, and sweat, and tears of immigrants and refugees and we will not close our borders. We will not close our shores. The reason why America is great is because it is an immigrant town and we are a sanctuary city and we will protect our [crowd cheers – word is undecipherable]. And any threat, any threat to. African American, to the LGBT community, to Jews, to Muslims, it doesn’t matter. Any threat to any one group is a threat to all of us.

And because as Dr. King once said “We all may have come here on different boats. Some came here involuntarily, but we are all in this together now. And so we’ve got to stand up to the federal government. We’ve got to stand up to bullies. We’ve got to stand up to an administration which is too male, too pale, and too stale.

Tish James pauses a moment and then repeats the words "too male" and the rally participants begin saying those words like a unison chant
Too male
Too pale
Too stale

Too male
Too pale
Too stale

And we will not go away silently. We will not be silent in the face of this oppression. We will not be silent in the face of this discrimination. We will not be silent in the face of hate. We will not normalize hate. This is my country and I will stand up for my country. This is my [indecipherable because of audience cheers] and I will defend [indecipherable because of audience cheers].

And so, Mr. President, you and your executive orders, you have turned back progress for decades, and Mr. President, let us put you on notice, that we will resist, and we will ultimately see you in court. Mr. President.

We’ve got to stand together because if they come after my neighbor, they’re comin after me next. And I say to Donald Trump, you are Not my president. And I will resist you and stand up to you and I know that an army is out there [pointing to the rally participants] that will join me. Put your lights in the air! And say no!

[rally participants chant]
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!
No!

So my fellow Americans, my young people…I need my young people to organize and organize, and organize. Nothing happens in this world without young people. It is up to you, young people to organize and to resist and to get out in the streets and to make this happen and to protect your colleague, and to protect your, the student who you call a friend, and to protect your neighbor, and to protect your country. Thank you."
-snip-
Here's some information about Letitia James:
From http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/about
"Letitia James is the Public Advocate for the City of New York, the second highest ranking elected office in the City. As Public Advocate, she serves as a direct link between New Yorkers and their government, acts as a watchdog over City agencies, and investigates complaints about City services.

Public Advocate James made history in 2014, by becoming the first woman of color to hold citywide office in New York City.

In less than two years, Letitia James has transformed the Office of the Public Advocate to deliver real results and reforms for all New Yorkers."...

****
ADDITIONAL PROTEST CHANTS FROM THIS RALLY
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/protestors-flood-nycs-washington-square-park-in-anticipation-of-muslim-ban_us_58893575e4b0737fd5cb81db Protesters Flood NYC’s Washington Square Park To Oppose Muslim Ban by Sebastian Murdock , Christopher Mathias, 01/25/2017

“ “NEW YORK ― “Resist!”

That was the chant that could be heard blocks away from New York City’s Washington Square Park Wednesday night as up to a thousand protesters gathered to show their solidarity with the Muslim community.”

Some chants from rally participants in the video that is embedded in that article

Call & response
Tell me what America looks like
(This is what America looks like)

Tell me what equality looks like
(This is what equality looks like)

Tell me what America looks like
(This is what America looks like)

****
Call & response
What do we want?
(Justice!)
When do we want it?
(Now!)

****
unison chant
Say it loud, say it clear
Muslim immigrants are welcome here

****
unison chant
Defend Muslims!
Defend Muslims!

Defend immigrants!
Defend immigrants!

****
Muslim woman speaker at podium leading this call & response chant
I have a request of every single one of you. Let me hear you say
United we stand
(United we stand)
Intolerance will fall
(Intolerance will fall)
And rights will prevail
(And rights will prevail)

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

No comments:

Post a Comment