Decolonize was written by juhkol of the RMO in 2020, inspired by the four FTP protests that many affinity groups associated with Decolonize this Place organized in 2019 and 2020 against subway fares, cops in the subway, and for full accessibility and service. These protests of course also acted in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in summer of 2020.
Decolonization is not a metaphor; it is something we must actively do, work for, and strive for every day in as many ways as we feasibly can. To decolonize is to actively reverse the processes of colonialism, which includes, but is not limited to: learning whose land you live on; learning about our human and more-than-human relatives' relationships with said land; learning where your own people come from; actively, joyfully, and sustainably working to dismantling all systems of oppression; resting as a form of resistance, and much more.
Lyrics:
Decommodify, direct democratize, decentralize, decolonize,
Regenerate, Revitalize, re-educate, revolutionize
De- de- demilitarize, open your eyes
De- de- decapitalize, eyes on the prize
Original song by juhkol, RMO arrangement by R. Streb
The original studio recording, available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and all other major streaming services, was produced & arranged by The Resistance Company, and therefore has a punk band setup. That being said, listening to the original recording can be helpful for getting the basic musical idea. Decolonize will be a riff of sorts, similar to Which Side, that can be conducted and evolve in the moment, as opposed to having a hard form. However, if we need a default, we can default to the arrangement in the studio recording.
The drum break can function in the same way as all our other drum breaks: feel free to put whatever chant in there depending on the occasion. Of course, you always have the option to just do a two syllable minimalist chant as the recording does as well. Those syllables can also be played by our instruments while others chant.
