Soul violinist Lee England Jr. discusses tribute to Elijah McClain

What voice do you think we need as a community?


I think it is necessary for everyone to see that no matter how small your heart may seemingly be … showing up is necessary … because the strength is in numbers. The strength is in the spirit. Sitting at home is not going to afford you anything but misery.


Tell us about your song “We Are” and the inspiration for it.

I wrote that in response to something that had happened before. That song was written, maybe … five years ago. I was listening to someone like Nina Simone who was just like, “It’s the responsibility of the artist to capture what’s going on in society.” I was really having a hard time just listening to other artists because their music wasn’t reflective enough about what’s going on in reality. We can boast and talk about all these different ideas, but nothing was potent. I just wanted to open up a conversation about what’s going on.


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