A message from Graie Hagans, Senior Advisor at Bend the Arc:

In Parsha Yitro, the Erev Rav has left Mitzrayim (the narrow place) and is remaking itself as a new people unified under a new vision of liberation. Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, arrives to celebrate the miracles G*d has enacted on behalf of the Israelites and to counsel Moses to expand leadership. Yitro knows the power and possibility of this movement of people. He also knows that leading is too heavy for Moses alone and that the community is stronger when more people lead.

When the people left Egypt, they did so with the knowledge that they were capable of more than they had ever imagined. Yitro’s agitation to Moses is in service to that possibility — a reminder about the sometimes heavy burden of visionary leadership and the necessity of cultivating and including many leaders to build a people.

In the same spirit of being in service to the possibility of liberation, I’m excited to share this year’s Black Futures Month playlist with you. It’s called L’atidim sh’chorim — “Towards Black Futures.” It is about reflecting on the long road behind and ahead of us and making the choice to build leaderful movements towards Black liberation and liberation for us all.

Like our ancestors, if we can imagine a world beyond oppression, beyond hatred, beyond slavery — and then build toward that possibility — we will have made a better world together. We have seen before what we can do. As you listen this year, I invite you to reflect on your relationship to Black leadership and vision. What does Black visionary leadership mean in your life? How have you experienced freedom through Black visionary leadership?

We are building together — a movement and an America that hasn’t existed in a sustained way before. We cannot do it alone. And we’ve seen before what we can do as a movement and what we can do together.

L’atidim sh’chorim,

Graie

Bend the Arc Presents:

L'atidim sh'chorim: Towards Black Futures

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing - Homecoming Live
Beyoncé

Brighter Days (Are Before Us)
Meet Me @ The Altar

Welcome
OSHUN

News Come
Mereba

Someday We’ll All Be Free
Donny Hathaway

I Shall Be Released
Nina Simone

People Make The World Go Round
The Stylistics

Power to the People - Demo Version
Curtis Mayfield

Dancing In The Street
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Give the People What they Want
The O’Jays

Together
SAULT

Day Dreaming
Aretha Franklin

The Joy
M&O

Pachamama
Beautiful Chorus

Lift Me Up
Rihanna

Love is the Way
Thee Sacred Souls

Wake up Everybody
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Marvin Gaye

Keep Ya Head Up
2Pac

Move (feat. Grace Jones & Tems)
Beyoncé

BLK REVOLUTION
BLK ODYSSY

Dreams
Solange

In The Castle Of My Skin
Sons Of Kemet

On & On
Erykah Badu

Build Black Futures
Freeom Futures Collective, Black Youth Project 100, Fresco Steez, Onraé Lateal

How Do We Heal
The Suffers, Son Little, Bryce the Third

Fight For Love
SAULT

If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) (Feat. Lauryn Hill)
Nas

Kiss of Freeom - Urban Mix
J.D.’s Time Machine, Cleveland P. Jones, Shawn Hibbler

I Like Me
ByHaze, Tahj, Dana from Upstairs

My World
OSHUN, Jorja Smith

Plastic Off the Sofa
Beyoncé

I Won’t Crumble with You If You Fall
Bernice Johnson Reagon

BREATHE
Seinabo Sey

I Rise Up
Beautiful Chorus

There is Another Way
aja money, Richie Reseda