Singing Resistance: From the Streets of Minneapolis to Otsego County

By TERESA WINCHESTER
OTSEGO COUNTY

In times of strife and controversy in our nation, protest songs have traditionally surfaced as a response to social injustice, police brutality, unpopular wars and other issues. Out of the recent clashes between U.S. Immigration and Customs law enforcement officers and residents of Minneapolis, a new wave of musical protest has risen: the Singing Resistance.

In the wake of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Minnesotans have been coming together to sing songs of protest and peace as a way to resist ICE activity. On Instagram, SR states that it embraces everyone aligned with the group’s values to “protect and care for our communities in the face of rising authoritarianism.”

The group takes inspiration from Otpor (Serbian for “Resist”)—a movement formed in 1998 in the former Yugoslavia to resist the brutal dictatorship of Slobodan Milošević. In 1999, Milošević was indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for crimes against humanity. Genocide was the most serious charge against him, but other charges included deportation, murder, inhumane acts and forcible transfer, imprisonment, torture, willful killing, attacks on civilians, destruction and willful damage done to historic monuments.

SR, with its message of anti-authoritarianism and pro-peace, as well as its inclusivity and its appeal through the medium of song, has spread rapidly throughout the United States. Using Linktree to market its message, SR provides a spreadsheet for anyone interested in locating a nearby group. To date, 31 states, plus the District of Columbia, have at least one group. Some states have multiple groups, totaling 98 SR groups in all. Championed by singer/songwriter and guitarist Khalil Carney, SR has arrived in Otsego County.

During the course of a winter retreat in Indianapolis with a few of her friends, Carney became inspired by SR videos she saw online.

“Me and many of my close friends feel outraged and weighed down by what’s happening in our country. We felt the collective grief of Good and Pretti, but we weren’t sure what we could do to alleviate our heaviness,” Carney said.

Discovering SR has transformed Carney’s despair into action. She has been aided by the online SR resources, which include answers to frequently asked questions, a toolkit and a songbook. 

“I started to feel hope—like, this is something I can do to help others who are feeling the weight of the world. It’s a way to get involved—something I have been wanting to do,” she said, adding that she feels an obligation as a musician to use her gifts to aid in the resistance.

On February 19, Carney attended a meeting of Butternut Valley Indivisible, held at the Dunderberg Gallery in Gilbertsville, where she was able to put into practice the methodology suggested by the SR toolkit.

“There’s a collection of songs that are simple to learn. They are short, repetitive and uplifting, with a peaceful message,” Carney said.

The SR method is “call and response.”

“I sing a line and the crowd sings it back, and I do that for each line. There are usually four to six lines per song. Then, we sing lines as a couplet and repeat until everyone has the song down. Sometimes, only one or two words are switched out. For instance, we might sing, ‘We are heard with our voices,’ and then substitute ‘voices’ with ‘neighbors,’ then ‘children,’ then ‘power,’ and so on. The songs are peaceful, beautiful and true,” Carney said.

Carney will further hone her skills as an SR leader while seeking to increase local participation in SR on two upcoming occasions. On Wednesday, February 25 from 5:30-8 p.m., she will conduct a workshop at The Sherburne Inn in Chenango County, followed by another on Thursday, February 26 from 4-6 p.m. at the Gatehouse Coffee Shop in Morris, her hometown.  

Publicity for the workshops states, “We will be learning songs and building connection to deepen the role of music in social movements across the U.S. No experience needed. All voices welcome.”

Saturday, February 28 is an important day for Carney and the SR movement. SR has put out a call to action for an “ICE OUT” protest across the country. SR groups have been asked to protest at a location associated with ICE activity—“sites of ICE brutality/abductions, businesses or government buildings that are complicit with ICE.” Carney will be at the county office building at 197 Main Street in Cooperstown from noon to 2 p.m.

“The Otsego County Sheriff has a 287(g) contract with ICE, and we are protesting to encourage our county board and sheriff to cancel this contract ASAP,” Carney said.

While the Otsego County Board of Representatives has no supervision over Otsego County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr., who is an elected official, it has been called upon by a number of citizens to formally request the sheriff to cancel the contract.

Carney says she could use some help organizing this event.

“I am looking for some folks to come and speak at the protest, as well as volunteers to help with set-up, welcoming and leading songs. We’re also looking for folks who can take photos of the event, as well as video it,” Carney said.

Anyone interested in helping lead songs or otherwise getting involved in SR may e-mail Carney at resistancesingingcny@proton.me.