Marc 2Ray – “Dear America” (feat. Allison Balanc)

Marc 2Ray’s new single, “Dear America,” takes aim at America’s history of genocide, slavery, and oppression. The song was produced by Godfather, and it features vocals from Allison Balanc.

The first verse walks the listener through the genocide of Native Americans and the Trail of Tears, to the enslavement of African-Americans, the Civil War, segregation, Jim Crow, and then all the way to the Civil Rights era. The second verse focuses on the amplified hate coming from the current administration and touches on the Alt-Right march in Charlottesville, the separation of children at the border, and more. The hooks serve as a call to action for America to come to terms with its past and create a better future.

The music video for “Dear America” consists solely of historical footage of these events and news coverage of the more current events. The video is currently being used in curriculum at Montgomery College. Marc’s previous single, “1915,” (which is about The Armenian Genocide) has also been used in schools and Marc has giving in-person presentations and performances to students.

Marc has a background as an educator, working as a therapist for children with autism at The Floortime Center in Bethesda, MD. Marc’s connection time the educational field has allowed him to get song of his songs to be used in high school and college curricula to help educate the next generation.

Coming from a family of survivors of genocide, and rescuers of those facing genocide, Marc feels it is his duty to speak truth to power for those who are facing persecution today. Because of that, he’s using the platform of Hip Hop activism he’s built with his song “1915” to focus on America’s history of racial oppression with “Dear America.”