A Comparison Of David Walker's Appeal Vs. Fight The Power

David Walker’s Appeal VS. Fight The Power
David Walker’s Appeal and Fight The Power by Public Enemy are both vastly different and similar at the same time. Yes, one was written by a black revolutionary many decades ago and one was written by a legendary hip-hop group but they are similar. They are both protesting the injustice against African-Americans in different times in America’s history. Walker’s appeal protests the racial injustice at the time it was written and Fight The Power opens eyes to the real injustice going on in our world today. They are both rebellious pieces and staples of both eras they were written in. When thinking of protest against racial inequality, these two are most likely brought to mind.
One thing addressed heavily

in both pieces is racism in both time periods. When Walker wrote his appeal one group who aimed it at was the American Colonization Society, a group set on deporting all free blacks back to Africa. He also twisted the assumed position of many in the US that having black skin made you inferior. He said “that we, (coloured people of this United States,) are most degraded, wretched, and abject set of beings that ever lived since the world began; and I pray God that none like us ever may live again until time shall be no more.” Here he is saying that the African-Americans have been brought down so much by the United States that he wishes this kind of abuse on no one for the rest of time.
In Fight The Power, Chuck D addresses racism by rapping “People, people we are the same/ No we’re not the same/ Cause we don’t know the game.” Here is saying that racial equality does not exist but that some people believe that it does.

He says “What we need is awareness/ we can’t get careless.” Here Chuck D means that we have to know what is going on in this country and we cannot ignore it. He infers that we must take strides to get better with these issues. Chuck D also raps “Elvis was a hero to most/ but he never meant s**t to me/ straight up racist the sucker was/ simple and plain.” He clarified later that he meant that, although Elvis was extremely celebrated, he was known as the “King” even though there had been many black musicians who came before him and influenced him heavily. After this line Flava Flav yells “Muthaf**k him and John Wayne.” Chuck D stated that this was about an interview for Playboy that John Wayne had done saying “I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of

responsibility.”
David Walker wrote that to defeat oppression, African-Americans had to do something about it and take that responsibility. He said that they had to be educated and had to have will to take down the opressors. “America is more our country than the whites-we have enriched it with our blood and tears” Walker said. He meant that African-Americans had worked under the white men for so long and done so much to fuel the country forward that it should be theirs.
Fight The Power’s view of oppression is similar. You can tell this is true just from the title Fight The Power. This song is about taking down racism and modern stereotypes in America as was David Walker’s appeal in his time. Combine that with a driving beat and an aggressive tone saying that “we won’t rest until we get what we want” and they have similar messages about oppression in America.
David Walker also was very much in support of African-American education. He said that being educated might not only take out racism and slavery it would also scare the white people. He said that anyone who is educated should teach those around him. He also said that those who could read should read the appeal itself to people who could not read so as to get the word out and get more people informed about the radical but positive and vastly supported ideologies. Although the appeal criticizes America it does not say that America cannot be saved. Walker says that white Americans must examine their ideas and then we may be able to have a better and less racist America.
David Walker was a hero to the community but at the time was not recognized because of the fact that he was an African-American in a country controlled by white Americans.

In Fight The Power, Chuck D references something of this sort when he says “Most of my heroes don’ appear on no stamps/ sample a look back you look and find/ nothing but rednecks for four hundred years if you check.” Here he is saying that his African-American heroes were not recognized by America even though they did so much for it at the time of David Walker and now. The line about “nothing but rednecks” refers to the fact that since America was founded it has been run by nothing but white, land-owning men and that that needs to change. Chuck D says “What counts is that the rhymes/ designed to fill your mind.” Overall, this refers to everything stated in the song. He wants to open peoples eyes to what’s going on around them. He wants to open their eyes the racism and injustice so that maybe something can be done about

it.
Overall, David Walker’s appeal and Public Enemy’s Fight The Power are very similar, but in very different ways. Walker’s appeal speaks of much needed change and what we can do to make these kinds of change happen so that we can have a better for future for African-Americans and America. Fight The Power tells how these racist issues are still going on today and how we have to see that some things haven’t changed in a country that says we were all born free.