In April 2015, Freddie Gray, a black man from Baltimore, was killed while being arrested for possessing an illegal switchblade. There was great controversy over the subject because many believed that the policemen used unnecessary force to subdue Gray. Protests and riots sprung up everywhere, most notably at Gray's funeral in Baltimore. About four hours after his funeral, the riots started and they continued to enlarge for about three hours. This included throwing bottles and bricks at police officers, wrecking a police car, and starting fires. Baltimore Governor Larry Hogan announced a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.
This song and video came out in February 2016, about a year after the incident, however it is very clear that it was a tremendous influence on Bridges. In the music video, videos of the Baltimore riots are seen on the television and the rest of the video was shot in Baltimore. Even after over a year, the effects are being felt by all and the Black Lives Matter movement is as strong as ever. This type of song is one that pushes people towards action and towards peace as it reminds us of the evils in this world. Bridges embraces the challenges of our time and seeks to help find the solution through his platform.
-Sammy Turk Tolub
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