Music is my Passport

Ayanna Gregory Dedicates Her Life to the Promotion of Black Excellence.

Ayanna Gregory is proof that the apple does not fall far from the tree. In her interview with Denise Isis Miller, host of Rootsology on Roots FM Radio, artist, activist and educator Ayanna Gregory gave insight on how she became successful in her music career.

Exposure is the avenue that paved the path to Ms. Gregory’s success. The influence came from her father, Dick Gregory’s career as a civil rights activist. Dick Gregory was also a comedian who merged his comedic knack to vocalize racism.  He was at the forefront of political activism in the 1960’s, when he protested the Vietnam War and racial injustice.

“I am who I am because of all of them.” The possibility of Ayanna Gregory taking this path was inevitable, because of the influence of her parents. She mentioned in the interview that her mother was also involved in the civil rights movement, which landed her in jail on multiple occasions, sometimes during pregnancy. This made a lasting impression on her.

Ayanna Gregory has been working with Winston Wellington, Chairman of Negril Education Environment Trust (NEET) for the past five years. He would fly her into the Island to speak publicly on black history, sing and do dramatic enactments at primary schools in Jamaica, particularly in Westmoreland.

Ayanna’s music career as exemplified in the 1990s is an extension of her beliefs fed by her robust experience as a black history activist. Her name means “beautiful flower,” and she brought this meaning with her into the release of her first solo album “Beautiful Flower” in 2003.

“Music is my passport”. Ayanna shared her black history rap with Denise Isis Miller, acapella style to the delight of the host and audience.

If we don’t teach the truth of who we are,

We’ll never know that our people came so far.

Before slavery and emancipation, we had the first human civilization.

Born over 2 million years ago, if we don’t teach this then we won’t know.

They teach us about Greek history;

But what about the schools of Egyptian mystery?

Above, are a few lines of her very insightful piece about black history.

Gregory has dedicated over 20 years into the promotion of the black experience. Her involvement in the movement is a beautiful testament and gift to her beloved parents.
She delivers her first concert in Negril on Wednesday, January 5, 2021 at Roots Bamboo in Jamaica.

Source: Caribnewsroom.com