It has been said that art imitates life. This adage may never have been more powerfully illustrated than with Spotify’s Black Lives Matter: Songs of Empowerment and Pride playlist. Made public on June 3, the playlist consists of 59 songs and has a running time exceeding four hours. As of this writing (June 5), it has over 700,000 followers. The playlist is incredibly relevant in the response to the struggle for equality for Black Americans. It was created to acknowledge the senseless and brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020.

As a white American, I continue to look inward in an attempt to acknowledge any evidence of prejudice and racism in my heart. I know it’s there. As I struggle to find my place in the fight to improve America’s race relations, I want to open my mind and my heart as well as my eyes and ears to this 400-year-old plight. I believe music can heal. If you are willing, listen to this playlist. You will be witness to generations seeking equality and justice.

You claim to want to understand the anger, frustration, and heartbreak of an entire race? This is a start. #blacklivesmatter