“Our version of activism is just to post something, move on.
“My generation is so overloaded with just one disaster after the next, where it’s just kind of a blur for them.”Įven though young people have been increasingly seen as “activists” on social platforms, much of the time, Smith said he felt like he doesn’t see much change happening. “This song, and this whole musical in general, is about the youth - or at least people in my generation - not knowing what to do,” he said. Smith isn’t sure if it’ll stick, but for now, it works. The working title for the musical is “The Beauty Of” - a title his mother suggested. The winning song is one part of a much larger project, a full-length musical, that Smith began writing in 2019.
After watching another tragic video or reading another article about a terrible incident somewhere in the country, or in the world, Ty thinks there’s only so much one person can do.”
On the competition’s website, Smith provides more background: “Normally an optimistic person who preaches about how change is possible, Ty laments that he feels powerless to stop the injustices he sees. The song and its title were inspired by Smith’s experience and frustrations with social media activism, and the oversaturation of violence experienced by people of color on his social media feeds to the point of desensitization. In the song, a young Black man named Ty sings as he walks to the store late at night, contemplating the powerlessness he feels in the face of injustices he sees on the news and social media.
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