A Song Below Water

Author Bethany Morrow writes in the Acknowledgements that “A Song Below Water is about the lifesaving power of Black sisterhood” (244), and that Black rights were a major influence on the novel. The novel is grounded in real-life racism. In recent history in the United States, society has started major movements for Black rights such as Black Lives Matter. The organization “#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer” (“About.” Black Lives Matter). On February 26, 2012, Martin’s murder made national news, as he was a 17-year-old Black teen shot by an older man. The murderer, George Zimmerman, “a 28-year-old man of mixed race who identifies as Hispanic,” was a “neighborhood watch coordinator for the gated community where Martin was visiting relatives at the time of the shooting” (Francescani, Chris. “George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting.” Reuters, 22 April 2012). It’s reported that Zimmerman “became suspicious” of Martin and called police. Before officers arrived, Zimmerman was “injured during a physical altercation between the two and shot Martin with a pistol he was licensed to carry” (Francescani, Chris). Though protestors fought for justice for Martin, Zimmerman was found not guilty due to self-defense. After a review by the Department of Justice for “potential civil rights violations,” no additional charges were filed (Perez, Evan et al. “No Civil Rights Charges against Zimmerman in Martin’s Death.” CNN, 24 February 2015). Martin’s death at such a young age caused widespread societal upheaval, especially for the Black community and allies. #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 (soon after Martin’s murder) with a mission to “eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes” (“About - Black Lives Matter”). By “combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy,” Black Lives Matter is “winning immediate improvements in our lives” (“About.” Black Lives Matter) . Many other nonprofit organizations exist to fight racism and prejudice, but Black Lives Matter is one of the most prominent and socially known.

More recently, George Floyd’s murder caused uprisings, protests, and social changes. On May 25, 2020, Floyd was killed by police officers in Minnesota. After resisting arrest for drug possession, Floyd was suppressed by the officers. Floyd’s death was “ruled a homicide due to cardiopulmonary arrest from law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression” (Marcelo, Philip. “Experts: George Floyd Died from Knee to Neck, Not Drug Overdose.” Associated Press, 21 October 2022). Floyd’s death “by a white officer reflected a common history of violence against Black people that united protesters in a renewed global movement” afterward (Douglas, Deborah et al. “One Year On, How George Floyd’s Murder Has Changed the World.” The Guardian, 22 May 2021). In the end, the officers involved in Floyd’s murder case were found guilty. His death triggered protests across cities nationwide, some even demolishing historical statues of figures believed to be racist and/or enslavers.

Racial discrimination and civil rights movements have existed long before Martin and Floyd’s incidents. In 1950s and 1960s America, heroic figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., fought peacefully through rallies, protests, marches, and speeches. King is best known for his “I Have A Dream” speech that imagined a world of unity and peace, where someone’s skin color, religion, gender, or any other factor wouldn’t make them any less human, any less equal to other humans. Through the efforts of figures like King, Congress passed The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin” (“Legal Highlight: The Civil Rights Act of 1964.” US Department of Labor). Racial discrimination is defined to this day as “discrimination [that] involves treating someone [...] unfavorably because he/she is of a certain race or because of personal characteristics associated with race (such as hair texture, skin color, or certain facial features)” (“Race/Color Discrimination.” US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Notably, racism can occur between any races, including when “the victim and the person who inflicted the discrimination are the same race or color” (“Race/Color Discrimination.” US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). In A Song Below Water, mean girl Naema represents this idea of not always being an ally for her own racial community: She is a Black girl who stands up for some of her community’s issues, like when her friend tries to touch Effie’s hair, but also puts her eloko identity (a publicly beloved mythological being who wears a bell necklace and has an enchanting, melodic presence) first, showing prejudice based on mythology and refusing to help Tavia. All of this sociohistorical context helps frame the novel’s racial conflicts, such as Tavia being pulled over by police for no reason while driving.