Grammy Award-Winning Music Producer Tena Clark: The Power Of Music And Protest

August 20th, 2020

Tena Clark is an award-winning composer and music producer. She also wrote a memoir called “Southern Discomfort.” (Courtesy of Tena Clark)

“City Lights” host Lois Reitzes last spoke with Tena Clark in 2018 after she released her memoir “Southern Discomfort.” Before she was an author, she was a storyteller through music.

The Grammy award-winning composer and music producer sat down with Reitzes to discuss some of her favorite protest and social justice songs she’s written throughout her career. “I feel like the best thing I can do is to use my art to try and make an impact. And there’s no more of an emotional power than the connection of music,” said Clark.

Clark’s Protest/Social Justice Songs:

“Break the Chain.” This song was inspired by the “One Billion Rising Global Campaign.” It’s the biggest mass action to end violence against women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender-based violence) in human history. The campaign, which launched on Valentine’s Day 2012, began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.
“My, My Mississippi” discusses the state’s House Bill 1523. This 2016 bill passed and gave broad permission to deny services to LGBTQ people on the basis of religious freedom. Clark was born and raised in Mississippi.
“We Belong” is a song Clark wrote in 2019 for the upcoming Clarkston documentary. The city of Clarkston is known for its diversity due to the fact that it has become a home for many refugees and asylum seekers coming to the U.S. “In this country, what we are built on is taking in our brothers and sisters and giving them a new life and a new start….music transcends all. There’s no borders, there’s no walls. Music is a language and I’ve spent my whole life trying to translate,” said Clark.
“Stand Up For Yourself” sung by Aretha Franklin has been an anthem for several political issues—the 2007 “Divided We Fail Coalition” commissioned by the AARP and then later it was sung in regards to the “Affordable Healthcare Act.” In 2012, it became an anthem to get people out to vote. “The whole song really is about standing up for yourself, using your voice…when you don’t use your voice, you’re letting someone else talk for you,” said Clark.
“I Believed.” The song was commissioned by the State Department to present to Hillary Clinton for all her work for Women and Children’s Justice around the world. It was a commemorative song to honor former Secretary-of-State Clinton in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. The song was performed for an audience that included First Lady Michelle Obama among other eminent guests at the 2011 International Women of Courage Awards.
“Ain’t Gonna Walk the Line” was released in 1992 and was written by Clark and Dee Harvey. The song speaks of self-determination, reliability and the urgency of living in the moment.