Jewish A Capella Group The Maccabeats Pays Tribute to George Floyd With ‘Say Your Name’ Song
by Shiryn Ghermezian
The Jewish a cappella group The Maccabeats released on Tuesday a song in honor of George Floyd, the 46-year-old unarmed African-American man who was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25.
“Say Your Name” includes the lyrics, “You were the brother I didn’t know. They dimmed your fire. Erased your glow. Too little justice and so much pain can’t bring you back now, but I can say your name. We cry for you like good brothers do. And we know this has to change, so we’ll say your name.”
The song’s music video opens with a quote by the late Holocaust survivor and Noble Laureate Elie Wiesel: “Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe.” The clip ends by showing a mural made in tribute to Floyd as well as the year he was born and when he died.
The Maccabeats said, “We wrote a song about George Floyd. But it ended up being about George Floyd and so much more. We cry for you, and we know this has to change.”