R&B singer and actor Jill Scott passionately criticized America during a live performance by altering the lyrics of the National Anthem to reflect her belief that the country is an oppressor state. Her powerful performance took place on the second day of the Essence Festival, where she addressed the issue of systemic racism in America and proclaimed that it is “not the land of the free.”
The Essence Festival, hosted by lifestyle magazine Essence, commended Scott’s performance by stating, “Everyone please rise for the only National Anthem we will be recognizing from this day forward. Jill Scott, we thank you!”
During her performance, Scott sang revamped lyrics to the National Anthem:
“Oh say can you see by the blood in the streets / That this place doesn’t smile on you colored child / Whose blood built this land with sweat and their hands / But we’ll die in this place and your memory erased / Oh say, does this truth hold any weight / This is not the land of the free, but the home of the slaves!”
Scott has previously expressed her disillusionment with the racial climate in America and her consideration of leaving the country. In an interview with Jemele Hill, she mentioned her desire for a better education system and highlighted the freedom she believes is present in countries like Holland, where there are fewer societal constraints on individual expression.
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