VIDEO PREMIERE: Reggie Harris "It's Who We Are"

When Reggie Harris sings, his voice rings out with honesty and conviction. It’s true whether he’s singing the songs of Phil Ochs or Pete Seeger or original compositions. It’s true on the many albums he recorded as a duo with his then-wife Kim, his debut solo effort, Ready to Go, or the collaboration with Greg Greenway, Deeper Than the Skin. Now, in the wake of the January 6 insurrection and the second impeachment of Donald Trump, he’s released a stirring call to action, “It’s Who We Are.” The New Folk Initiative is honored to present the exclusive premiere of the video for the song.

Reggie says, "We are standing on the edge of the possibility that we CAN choose to embrace hope, collaboration and the mission of being that is really committed to justice, freedom and humanity.  We’ve been given a new window of hope.”

Like the civil rights leaders Reggie reveres, the song doesn’t mince words. It includes all of us.  But he makes us believe in our better selves and the possibility of change:

Well, you can blame the politicians
You can blame your neighbors too
You can blame the founding fathers for what their mothers didn’t do

Well, the answer is quite simple
It’s not hard to recognize
It’s greed, it’s self-indulgence
It’s the fear of compromise.

It’s in our hearts / it’s in our hands
It’s in our minds / But we can change!

The song will lead off Reggie’s new album, On Solid Ground, due in April. He has a crowdfunding campaign to offset the manufacturing, artwork, and promotion of what is surely a worthy cause: https://videosforchange.wedid.it/campaigns/8634