It's time. Protest.

[Verse 3] "You can blow out a candle; But you can't blow out a fire; Once the flames begin to catch; The wind will blow it higher"

Peter Gabriel’s 1980 musical eulogy for Steve Biko hauntingly resonates in my mind as we watch what is happening to our country right now.

Biko, an anti-apartheid activist, died in September 1977, beaten to death by Port Elizabeth (South Africa) police after a weeks’ long “interrogation.” His crime: The government of South Africa had banned him in 1973 from leaving his hometown, meeting with more than one person, publishing his writing, and speaking in public.

Biko was arrested for violating the ban.

Like Biko, Gabriel’s song was also banned in South Africa, but nevertheless became one of the most globally-recognized anti-apartheid songs.

Biko’s bravery astounds me.

Gabriel’s tribute is sublime.

Listen:

And now, get on your feet, find your voice, join the chorus; History and light are on our side. Let us reclaim our country.