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I don& #39;t normally talk politics on here, but this needs to be said: the racial injustice that has been highlighted by the most recent events here in the United States is absolutely awful and needs to be changed. Thread incoming. #BlackLivesMatter 
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I& #39;ve been a relatively quiet follower of politics over the past few years, taking particular interest in @AndrewYang& #39;s very holistic views on human-centered capitalism and social justice, and it& #39;s sad for me to see our elected officials not sharing the same beliefs.
This situation, to me, seems like a tipping point, though. I& #39;ll very readily acknowledge my privilege as an Asian-American who grew up in an educated middle-class family in a safe neighborhood in a relatively safe city.
Seeing these crazy protests on social media obviously makes me upset, but it moreso leaves me with a feeling of "Wow, this is horrible, but can I really do anything about this?" In a world where things like this happen far too regularly, what is the value of the music I create?
The value of entertainment certainly can& #39;t be understated - especially due to the state of the world with COVID-19. Without the YouTube series I regularly watch, my mental health would certainly be much less stable than it is now.
But as far as racial injustice goes, can I, just a single person on the internet, really do anything? The answer is, of course yes. I& #39;m sure there are others who know much better than me about this, but here are some action steps that you can take if you want things to change:
- Vote. And not just for the President. Senate seats, representatives, down-ballot candidates, and other elections are all important towards putting the people you want in charge. You don& #39;t have to become a political junkie, but get your ballot in.
- Donate to organizations that enact change for the causes you prefer. I chose to contribute to the NAACP& #39;s Legal Defense and Educational fund in the wake of these recent events to pursue racial justice through litigation, which is, in my view, the proper long-term solution.
- Express your displeasure to the right people. Yelling into the void on the internet or angrily responding to a politician on Twitter is probably not going to do much. Instead, consider contacting your political representative, or another person in power.
In times like these, it often seems like systemic change is impossible. However, history proves otherwise - several landmark court cases have fundamentally reshaped American society in history, and this is still possible.
And to my fellow content creators who may still be afraid to express their opinions on this matter - consider speaking out! If someone unfollows you for your political opinion, they probably didn& #39;t like you that much in the first place.
That& #39;s about it for me though - I firmly believe that the best contribution I can make to the world right now is to continue making my music for both entertainment and emotional value, and that& #39;s what I& #39;m going to keep on doing.
I have no plans to turn this account completely political by any means, haha, but in the end, insaneintherainmusic is my personal brand. That means I should be able to express my thoughts freely here, and I am choosing to do so.
Stay safe and stay hopeful, everyone.
Stay safe and stay hopeful, everyone.
Addendum: So much of the music I love stems from African culture. Jazz, funk, blues, motown, R&B, are all originally African-American art forms. To ignore this is disrespecting the origins of these wonderful genres. Music can bridge racial divides.
