videos
“We Rise” came through right after the 2016 election. It was a moment of deep fear and despair, as we watched a campaign built on white supremacy and racism win. The results came in a few weeks after I had returned from Standing Rock, and in the wake of the election, I felt a profound sense of hopelessness. I needed to believe that collective power and resistance was possible in the face of such great unknown. I reached inward for a prayer, for a shred of hope, and what I found was the powerful and prayerful resistance I had witnessed and experienced at Standing Rock. In that moment, I started to sing, praying into my bones that vision of holy resistance.
This song is one small attempt at holding onto that vision, and praying it into our collective bones. Since 2016 we’ve been through so much. This song feels as potent for me today as it did when it came to me. In this time when white supremacy and fascism are so clearly lifting their heads, may we truly center the resistance and vision of Black folks, Indigenous and Native peoples, communities of color, immigrants and refugees. May we believe in our collective power and resilience, and learn to LIVE it, as we work to dismantle the oppressive forces within ourselves and in the world around us. No matter what struggles lie ahead, may we keep fighting and rising for and with each other.
In hope, in prayer, we find ourselves here. We’re. Right. Here.
“When Batya sings, my heart feels as if it is being moved inside my chest. Her melodies are rich, musically compelling and inhabited by the tonal legacy of her ancestors. She leads large and small groups in the singing of these songs, guiding people to find their way within, to find their own heart moving. Each group is mesmerized and they follow her willingly, opening mouths, softening hearts and strengthening a feeling of connectedness. Batya is a potent leader and an important voice. I am honoured and delighted to walk beside her.”