Wyclef Jean's song, 'President' deals with social construction and the issue of privilege and oppression. A link to the lyrics can be found here at http://www.tremolocowboys.com/Lyrics_W/Wyclef_Jean_Lyrics/If_I_Was_President_Song_Lyrics.html
Also a video of the song can be found on YouTube at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pq_3OheqzU
The song is about social construction, privilege, and a main emphasis on oppression. I found the song would fit into the portfolio because of it's relation to the nature of the topics being covered in the class. Wyclef's song is about the oppressions in society he would reverse if he were the president. He talks about helping the poor in the ghetto, spending more money on better education and economic security for those in need. But at the same time, he acknowledges social construction and its reality.
He starts out by saying if he were president, he would get elected, then assassinated, and buried. At first, these lines are a bit ambiguous, but they become more clear as he reveals more about his song, particularly towards the end. He then continues on about spending money on the poor instead of the war, and that these poor people are screaming "fight the power'. These are the oppressed people in society that Johnson talks about in his book Privilege, Power, and Difference in the chapter "Privilege, Oppression, and Difference'. Johnson talks about how the oppressed are oppressed because others enjoy privileges they don't have because of the group of people society perceives them to belong to. To Wyclef, these are the poor people in the ghetto neighborhoods comprised mostly of, but not excusively African-Americans. The end of the song reveals why he would assassinated after being president. He says that blacks would have reparations, and no segregation. He would have Muslims, Jews, and Christians all hold hands. He reveals his desire to change the social structure that's in place in which blacks are sometimes not given full opportunities and are missing out on privileges as Johnson explains happens when a group has privileges and another does not. Wyclef goes on to say he would want to create better schools in the ghettos, have better teachers, more pay for all, and less taxes, and making an urge to scientists to work towards cures for cancer and AIDS. This further reveals his desire for social change for the oppressed group of blacks in the inner cities who do not enjoy the privileges of a good education with good teachers as most whites do in suburban areas. Wyclef's song deals a lot with what Johnson talked about in his chapter.
He starts out by saying if he were president, he would get elected, then assassinated, and buried. At first, these lines are a bit ambiguous, but they become more clear as he reveals more about his song, particularly towards the end. He then continues on about spending money on the poor instead of the war, and that these poor people are screaming "fight the power'. These are the oppressed people in society that Johnson talks about in his book Privilege, Power, and Difference in the chapter "Privilege, Oppression, and Difference'. Johnson talks about how the oppressed are oppressed because others enjoy privileges they don't have because of the group of people society perceives them to belong to. To Wyclef, these are the poor people in the ghetto neighborhoods comprised mostly of, but not excusively African-Americans. The end of the song reveals why he would assassinated after being president. He says that blacks would have reparations, and no segregation. He would have Muslims, Jews, and Christians all hold hands. He reveals his desire to change the social structure that's in place in which blacks are sometimes not given full opportunities and are missing out on privileges as Johnson explains happens when a group has privileges and another does not. Wyclef goes on to say he would want to create better schools in the ghettos, have better teachers, more pay for all, and less taxes, and making an urge to scientists to work towards cures for cancer and AIDS. This further reveals his desire for social change for the oppressed group of blacks in the inner cities who do not enjoy the privileges of a good education with good teachers as most whites do in suburban areas. Wyclef's song deals a lot with what Johnson talked about in his chapter.
I really liked the song because it raised these issues in a way that does not cause heated debate, but really moves one to embrace change to help those who need to enjoy the privileges everyone should enjoy, as Johnson states in his chapter. Wyclef shows a lot of understanding about privilege and oppression. He shows that there is a social construct in which blacks are at a disadvantage due to a lack of opportunity for quality education and economic success, which is a privilege that others enjoy. His song is about his desire to change that construct, but he says some people wouldn't be happy with his bringing privilege to everyone, and would get assassinated as a result. The song was about change, but it was also very realistic about these issues.
MLA song citation:
Jean, Wyclef . President. Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101. Koch Records, 2004.
video citation:
wyclef jean "if i was president". Online. Available: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9pq_3OheqzU (July 01, 2007).
lyrics citation:
MLA song citation:
Jean, Wyclef . President. Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101. Koch Records, 2004.
video citation:
wyclef jean "if i was president". Online. Available: http://youtube.com/watch?v=9pq_3OheqzU (July 01, 2007).
lyrics citation:
"If I Was President(By WYCLEF JEAN). Online. Available: http://www.tremolocowboys.com/Lyrics_W/Wyclef_Jean_Lyrics/If_I_Was_President_Song_Lyrics.html (July 01, 2007).
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