Racism, Sexism, and Rock and Roll

I read the essay “Not a Rock and Roll Nigger” by Dael Orlandersmith, and I found it to be an emotional piece of writing for her.  To start, she states in the first sentence how she is a black women and loves rock and roll.  This was a foreshadow to lay out all the pieces to her puzzle and make the reader take in the events that happen throughout her story. 

She gives the audience a quick image of where she grew up and what kind of music people around her listened to.  She was different.  “The music that played in the house and on the streets was R&B, Salsa, Calypso, and Reggae.” This black women was in love with “all kinds of music but…specifically moved by rock and roll”.  This made her feel like an outsider because no one else around her felt the same way. 

            She fell in love with rock and roll when stumbling upon The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, one after the next, playing on the radio.  This made her binge into rock and roll music.  She then wondered if there were any women doing the damage that Jim Morrison was doing.  Then she heard Patti Smith.  Patti Smith was a big motivational figure in her life.  She even remarked “Patti Smith validated me.”  This was because she saw a women rocking out and she felt close knowing other women were doing this. An “outsider” just like herself.

This was until one night at Patti Smith’s concert, Patti leaned back and started singing “Rock N Roll Nigger”, that’s when she started to turn her back and wonder why.  She was speechless.  I know that this impact was heart wrenching.  I think finding so much passion, motivation, and connection with a person and then having it ripped apart is hard to put into words.  Patti Smith was unaware of the feeling that this black women had when she listened to the music.  This was a turning point. She turns to find more blacks in rock and roll.

The writer finds a way to reflect on this experience and become stronger.    She never stops rocking.  She forgives Patti Smith and wraps up the essay with thanking Patti Smith, and black women in rock and roll.  The story of overcoming racism and sexism throughout her life as a fan of rock and roll music is moving.