In the wake of pop icon Prince’s sudden death, his legacy is thought to have transcended just his undeniable talent in all things music-related, but his fame and existence also framed issues of race an sexuality in a time when these issues were even more polarized.
In this opinion piece published by Salon, the writer argues that the singer predicted a more equal world in terms of race and sexual orientation. Saying, “Prince’s ascension perfectly distilled the pansexual, multiracial, hedonistic and downwardly mobile cultural politics of the Reagan era….he also anticipated so many things, including an era when artificial distinctions between “black music” and “white music” have largely evaporated.”
In a time when race issues still remain prevalent, we are seeing black artists address the issue more and more. Beyonce’s latest release, Lemonade, which also heavily ties in lyrics about racial injustice in America’s current society, was released the same weekend Prince died.
The author comments, “Prince captured, embodied and symbolized a multicultural dance-floor utopia that was never quite reality, but was all the more beautiful for that.”
The Race against Racism 