The Warnings of Past Leaders: Gil Scott-Heron’s Revolution, now our own.

In times of revolution, those in upheaval look to the leaders of their communities for guidance and support. The Black community is no different.

But what happens when many of the great leaders are tampered with, undermined and ultimately left to be martyred? We are left with a void. So much, that instead of legitimate community organizers, the general public looks to what they believe is the next best thing – celebrities. Except, there is one problem: being an authentic leader for any Black rights movement does not correspond with being a part of the one percent. Real activism does not pay, and capitalists are always looking to get paid.

Truthfully, we don’t need them, as told by the late Gil Scott-Heron on “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” from his 1970 album, Small Talk at 125^th and Lenox.

Recited over congas and bongo drums, Scott-Heron’s generationally transcendent record is one of the very early forms of hip hop. In three-minutes, he details what he believes to be undermining factors in the true black “revolution” – emphatically finishing each stanza with the titular phrase, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” 

The examples he uses all have one simple theme; mainstream approval and awareness, which he believes are there to create a false sense of achievement, thus pacifying those in search of change. He makes many references to late 20^th century cultural icons, some that are still relevant today, preluding each reference with a reminder that the “revolution” will not be in association with this particular person, brand or company. 

Scott-Heron’s understanding of the media and the ability of major corporations to hijack a movement is as relevant today as it was then. Not only does it speak to his astuteness, but it also tells us that we can still find ways of bettering our future, by heeding the words of past leaders.

Throughout the poem, he gives a rundown of things the “revolution” will not be brought to you by, which includes: Xerox, President Nixon and his Bugle, the Schaefer Award Theatre, the eleven o’clock news, coke (Who can forget this?), and relevant happenings from the late 60’s and early 70’s. 

On the fifth stanza, Scott-Heron gets unapologetically honest: 

 There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay.

There will be no pictures of Whitney Young.

Being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.

There will be no slow motion or still life’s of Roy Wilkins.

Strolling through Watts in a red, black, and green liberation jumpsuit.

That he has been saving for just the proper occasion.

The first two lines are repeated almost simultaneously to cause the effect of an instant replay. Yet they hold a deeper meaning. Police murders of black men, women and children have been televised (now through social media) for decades and in 1970, Scott-Heron believed they were counterproductive, as the bloodshed of Black people tends to gets exploited for ratings and entertainment. Next, he takes a jab at two people who would theoretically serve as his allies. He attacks both Whitey Young – a prominent figure in the rise of the National Urban League who fought for economic empowerment for blacks – and Roy Wilkins – one of the faces of the NAACP – for rubbing elbows and being in the same circles as the true enemy, elitist Whites. 

With those statements, Scott-Heron gets into the crux of what he really means. Being led by those who may not have our best interests at heart may lead to disastrous results. Public figures (black or not) are so far removed socially and economically from the average person that they cannot comprehend the struggle. This is why the public pressures celebrities into speaking out – their statements often sound forced, foolish or generic. Trying to break down systemic issues is idiosyncratic to them. Ties to entertainers or public figures being based on shared values is subjective, but relying on (or demanding) action from them is counterproductive.

After all, we have to live in our neighborhoods, not them. Our actions far outweigh their repost, like, share or tweet. We must be our own leaders, take our own action and if any public figure wishes to aide us, the more the merrier, but we must not rely on them, for that would be ignoring the warnings of our past leaders, and as we can see, history always repeats itself.

From the warnings of past leaders, Gil Scott-Heron’s “Revolution,” is now our own.

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Gil Scott-Heron: “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”