Brittany Howard is one of multiple artists who’ve joined together in a collective called Tennessee Freedom Singers, who’ve released a new song in support of Tennessee Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is running for U.S. Senate.
The song is called “Tennessee Rise” and was inspired by the Tennessee Three — Johnson and Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson — who last year faced an expulsion vote in the Tennessee General Assembly after taking part in a protest in favor of gun control. Johnson, who is white, narrowly avoided expulsion, but Jones and Pearson, who are Black, were expelled. They both regained their seats in a special election.
The participants in the recording project will donate any proceeds they receive from the streaming of the song, whose message is, “Register. Vote. RISE.”
Howard sings lead on the first verse of the song, which also features the vocal talents of, among others, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Allison Russell, Amanda Shires, Brittney Spencer, Devon Gilfillian and Emmylou Harris.
The lyrics mention school shootings, the “arc of justice” and Freedom Riders. The chorus goes, “Hello California Morning, Hello Mississippi Dawn/ Tennessee Rise, the sleep out of your eyes … Go and make yourself known/ Tomorrow knows their own.”
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