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about

This song is about a young, black woman in college defending the representation of her academic capacity against a white student claiming that Affirmative Action is racist. She paints historical context on the country that was built on the backs of Black people to provide the very opportunities that other communities worry they are being deprived of. She asserts the point that while she may make the qualifying grades to land her spot in a scholarship, not everyone who applies may have to overcome the same obstacles to obtain that same grade.

lyrics

"The Scholar"

You ought to stick to the issue
I've got the itch to dismiss you
You're educated while ignorant
Shoddy history misused
I'm black, you're white, and we both got into this college -
you say Affirmative Action is racist. You won't acknowledge
the structure of our society, the context of our lives.
Racist Reconstructionist red-lining realty still will deprive
the multitude of black neighborhoods equal opportunities
You fast to play the victim would never live in our communities
Ask any black student's grandfather or grandmother
if land was rented in rich white suburbs to many 'coloreds'
Ask them if the law would arrive if ever they crossed the tracks
Look up how much public schooling is paid for by income tax
So if no economic boom included the black and poor
And you're the heir, but you want to kick me out to gentrify my dorm,
then you should study 'til that title 'most qualified' suits you
cuz if you and I apply and it ends up in a tie,
screw you.

credits

from You Will Never Understand (The State of Soul), released February 1, 2019
(featured vocals - Maria Demus)

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Tornup Fort Worth, Texas

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