“I mean, All Lives Matter, you understand the irony in that,” Prince once said. One of the greatest, most singular artists to ever live and breathe was always a champion for black lives and black artists. He wanted to inspire and amplify voices and so much more than that. Even with his book, “The Beautiful Ones,” he wanted to try to “solve racism.”
A Message About Intolerance
Prince would’ve turned 62 years old on Saturday. The musician’s passing still stings, but his presence, art, and words still loom large over the world. Over the weekend, the people now in control of the Prince Estate shared a timely message from Prince. It’s a handwritten note now made public. “In this note that he kept in his personal archives, he wrote a message that still resonates today,” the caption read.
Words from Prince
Here’s the message from Prince:
“Nothing more ugly in the whole wide world than INTOLERANCE (between) Black, white, red, yellow, boy or girl. INTOLERANCE”
On Sunday, more words of wisdom from Prince were shared on social media:
“The system is broken. It’s going to take the young people to fix it this time. We need new ideas, new life.”
When great tragedy struck the black community and the world, the artist was there. Years ago, for example, after the death of Freddie Gray, Prince wrote and dedicated the song “Baltimore” to him. After the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, Prince donated money to Martin’s family.
Prince’s Experiences with Intolerance
Prince grew up in North Minneapolis in a black community. It wasn’t until he attended a mostly white public school did he experience racism firsthand. He once even wrote a song about the racism he suffered in “The Sacrifice for Victor.” Later in life, the artist experienced racism in the music industry, especially at Warner Bros. After that experience, he wanted to protect himself and other black artists from being taken advantage of in the industry.
The Great Philanthropist
Prince used his power and wealth for good. Unlike many celebrities today, he didn’t make public or self-centered displays of his charity. He was all action, little talk. The great artist had his own charity, Love 4 One Another, which donated millions to community programs. He once donated $1 million to Harlem’s Children’s Zone and $250,000 to the Uptown Dance Academy in New York. Prince wanted to see more diversity in the field of technology, so he backed #YesWeCode. It was an initiative to help “urban youth achieve a promising future by connecting tech and social justice leaders to spearhead revolutionary tech programs.” Prince spent his money well but kept donations private.
A Heartwarming Story
After Prince’s death, Rolling Stone ran a lovely story about Prince’s charity. When human rights activist Van Jones worked on the Green Jobs Act, he received an anonymous $50,000 donation. Not knowing who the money was from, Van Jones rejected it. Then it was sent back. Finally, a rep for Prince called to clear up any confusion. Here’s Van Jones’ memory of the call:
“‘I cannot tell you who the money is coming from, but his favorite color is purple.’ I said, ‘Well, now you’ve got another problem, because now I’m not going to cash the check, I’m going to frame it.’”
The timeless artist and Van Jones continued to work together on Green for All. It created green jobs in disadvantaged communities. Prince was a charitable man. So charitable, in fact, the Prince of funk met his ex-wife, Manuela Testolini, at his foundation doing philanthropic work. Prince was a beautiful soul, and thanks to the positive side of social media, we get to hear more of his words of wisdom and tolerance.
