Negro Manifesto by Dana Murray

The Negro Manifesto; the title alone sets the tone. We will be discussing the issues, and we will be exploring it through sound. Dana brings a worldly, producer’s view of not only music but life. Delving into social issues, especially among musicians, one can find those that have struggled and have found their way with a message of hope and love. They speak of their personal struggle from Crenshaw to Hollywood, or Washington Heights to Lincoln Center. Dana transcends that message, as his background includes comfort with the south side and the suburbs. He can speak of more than his personal experiences from this unique vantage point.

Dana speaks of discovering inequalities and hidden racism in his teen years, and while he begins with an intellectual assessment one can feel a sense of anger and a sense of purpose. His is a larger discussion; he seeks the true roots of the system that creates and perpetuates injustice. It’s not a tidy story with simple answers – it’s a noisy and deep chasm of universal struggle. The Negro Manifesto is both an indictment and a path to discovery. All the while the album stands as a summary of history and a challenging artistic piece, touching on racism and sexism in the capitalist paradigm. The world we live in, the world that we all must bear witness to as it contorts under its own bad intent. A world that just may be dying a convoluted death and rebirth, that is even more dangerous as the truth and beauty struggles for the light of day.

The Negro Manifesto evokes the ghosts of many – from Gil-Scott Heron to Hip-Hop activists The Goats, from Coltrane to Philip Glass. While it is impossible to ignore the storyline, it is possible to enjoy the musical journey, like a soundtrack to a movie not yet made.

Social justice movements need more than just tough stories and hopeful mantras. Dana Murray delivers for us a testimony of truth, challenge, with a call to engagement. It is time for a talk, and Dana has opened the floor.

Dana Murray grew up in Omaha, drawing experience in both the projects of South Omaha and the world of more fortunate professional types. He is comfortable recognizing and speaking to people who have preconceived notions of others. While he looks for people to acknowledge the limits of their worldview, he is also a pragmatist. Dana created Negro Manifesto to inform us all.