Been Hurt, Been Down Before

“The law is meant to be my servant and not my master, still less my torturer and my murderer. To respect the law, in the context in which the American Negro finds himself, is simply to surrender his self-respect.” – James Baldwin

James Baldwin’s article “A Report from Occupied Territory” and Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly are separated by 49 years, yet their messages have evidently disconcerting similarities concerning racial inequality and institutional discrimination experienced by African Americans. In his song Alright, Kendrick is able to align a very personal journey with the broader struggles of the Black experience.

According to Baldwin, the police is designed to “keep the Negro is his place” as exemplified by the case of The Harlem Six. Institutionalized racism continues to severely impact the lives of African Americans. In Baldwin’s time of writing, it reflected the fears and anxieties of white Americans surrounding the African American existence. Due to stereotyping, the Black identity has been made synonymous with crime and violence. This unjust interpretation has pervaded institutions through discourse, the effects of which remain prevalent. Both Baldwin and Kendrick try to reveal the nature of the atrocities committed against their community by virtue of the color of their skin. Despite the passage of time, police brutality and wrongful incarceration remain highly pertinent issues which oppress the Black community.

Wouldn’t you know

We been hurt, been down before

Nigga, when our pride was low

Lookin’ at the world like, “Where do we go?”

Nigga, and we hate po-po

Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho’

Nigga, I’m at the preacher’s door

My knees gettin’ weak, and my gun might blow

But we gon’ be alright

In the pre-hook of his song Alright, Kendrick achieves universality in his message by choosing to keep the source of the “hurt” ambiguous. These words are sentiments, applicable to any hardship faced by African Americans throughout history and also in the contemporary era. Like Baldwin, he then proceeds to vocalize his frustration with the justice system that disproportionately targets African Americans. When referencing the “preacher’s door,” Kendrick implies that he seeks to counsel of God to set him on the right path in midst of the hardships he faces.

Alright can be interpreted as an extension of Baldwin’s words, as Kendrick himself preaches a message of strength and endurance against racism that is deeply entrenched in American society. Through the pre-hook and chorus, he finds strength and shows solidarity with the Black community, realizing that his personal struggles are not unlike the history of African Americans. Kendrick has remembered that fight is inherent in the Black experience, that progress has and will continue to be made due to the fortitude, strength, and perseverance of his people.

Through God, Kendrick believes there is no adversity too difficult to navigate. He recognizes that the problems faced by him and his community are a shared struggle. He goes on to preach a message of union and displays faith in God’s plan. Like any great anthem, Alright’s chorus is brief, catchy, and extremely versatile. The inflection with which it is performed is infectious—it can be repeated infinitely without tiring. In fact, its message only gets stronger the more it is heard.

Outside the album’s narrative, Alright has been adopted as the unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement. Beginning in 2012 when an unarmed Black teen Trayvon Martin was killed, the hashtag Black Lives Matter emerged on social media outlets. It became a digital platform where dialogue, frustration, and debate could be expressed around issues of racial profiling and racial inequality in the United States. The phrase would come to represent a national movement whose pursuit was and continues to be racial justice and social awareness. The movement intensified as more and more unarmed Black men and women continued to lose their lives at the hands of the police.

The song’s message of hope through resilience struck a chord with the supporters of the movement, and the chorus has been heard chanted at protests and rallies across the United States. Institutionalized racism continues to be a problem which marginalizes African Americans. The struggle to redefine the African American identity is still ongoing. In a way, Kendrick echoes the words of Baldwin through his poetic expression which has become a chant of hope, solidarity, and defiance. Alright radiates an optimism that showcases the resilience of the Black spirit against racism.