Newark, NJ- Last Thursday widely popular Political Analyst/ Attorney, Angela Rye gave an amazing speech on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the City of Newark’s 31st Annual Sing in Praise of King Celebration. During this celebration there were live musical performances by FIRE, and Gospel artist Koryn Hawthorne.
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Pryor to Rye’s speech Mayor Ras J. Baraka opened up the program by delivering a passionate speech on Dr. King’s Legacy and spoke on how we have to celebrate King by acting and developing a strategy, “By looking to help each other and not destroy each other.”
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In the historical dimly lit Symphony Hall auditorium Angela Rye glided on stage in a red 2 piece pants suite afer being introduced by Shakirah McKnight. McKnight is the youngest Director in the city and clear fan of Angela Rye. McKnight heads up the City of Newark’s Youth and College Affairs office.
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After approaching the podium following her introduction Rye began her speech first honoring Mayor Baraka himself. “You have the most amazing Mayor. Yes give it up for Mayor Baraka… He’s famous too a little bit. He was helping to educate ya’ll on the MisEducation of Lauryn Hill but maybe ya’ll don’t know about that”.
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Rye went on to open her speech by saying “The Dr. King holiday is a reminder to us all on how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go.”… “My 2019 word is Love. I think that is so important given all of the division we see right now… Our greatest power and our greatest strength is the love that we shore with our neighbor, with our community, with the world and it starts with how we love our selves.”
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She further connected Mayor Baraka to her speech once again by explaining why his role on Lauryn Hill’s album was important, “I brought up what Mr. Mayor was doing on Lauryn Hill’s album during the interlude where he;s talking to kids where he’s really pulling out the best and the brightest vision from our young people…On one of them he’s talking about Love…”
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While keeping on her topic of Love Rye explained how when you look at what we’re faced with today in society and with in the political landscape she says “…We have to turn to love because it’s so easy to turn to anger and hate and frustration and rage and all of that becoming violence.”
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While expanding on love Rye hilariously scales back after stating her infamous line “…because your president,” as she pauses and shakes her head and says with a smile ‘…because he’s definitely not mine…”
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Rye went into detail on the current government shutdown that has made countless employees of the Federal Government work without pay for over 20 days and counting. Rye called Trump’s shutdown an ‘emotional tantrum for a physical barrier that will not work.’
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Her speech continued on and closed out interactively by engaging the audience in the MLK Commandments. Angela constructed her own MLK Commandments based off of his teachings. As mentioned by her this was her way of undoing white washing King’s legacy. Rye, in her millennial way compared these commandments to Bigggie’s infamous hit song 10 Crack Commandments. The commandments are listed below:
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- Love and Connect with your Neighbor
- Be Extremist for Love
- Though Shalt be Black Proud and Beautiful
- Govern Yourselves Nonviolently
- Rise, Take Your Place it’s in the Front
- White People, Don’t be Luke Warm it’s Dangerous
- Pursue Freedom it is our Fundamental Right
- Acknowledge Racism is Real and Present
- America, Thou Shall Run me my Money
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Following Angela’s speech she received a standing ovation and briefly stuck around with the Mayor for the Dr. King Celebration. You can watch Mayor Ras Baraka and Angela Rye’s full speech below from the Facebook Live video broadcast of the celebration.
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