Mike Posner releases his new song, “The Voice Of The Unheard,” in response to the social injustices that have sparked recent protests in Ferguson, Baltimore, and all across North America. He also took to his blog to open up about growing up in Detroit with mostly black male friends, and the life lessons he has learned up until now.
I read an excerpt from a speech that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered on March 14, 1968, in Michigan where he said,
“And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”
I find it remarkable how well those worlds still apply to our society. The first sentence, “a riot is the language of the unheard” inspired the following song: Mike Posner – Voice of the Unheard.
Three weeks after delivering that speech, Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered. Thirty-seven years after that, I’m writing these words on Delta flight 1876 from Los Angeles to Detroit. It’s easy for me to pretend like everything’s cool in my home in Hollywood, but the truth is, it’s scary how little has changed. Maybe the first step is for me to stop pretending there is equality when there is not, and admit:
I have no idea what it’s like to be black in America. – Mike Posner
Read his entire blog post and listen to his new song below!
Follow Mike Posner on Tumblr:
Listen & Download “The Voice Of The Unheard”:
Written by: Mike Posner
Produced by: Mike Posner & Adam Friedman
Piano by: Ely Rise
SoundCloud link: https://soundcloud.com/mikeposner/the-voice-of-the-unheard-1
Mike performed this song in Ann Arbor, MI for fans a few weeks ago. So, if you saw those YouTube videos I shared, then you’ve heard his song live.