Examples Of Neoliberalism To A False Opportunistic Mindset

Neoliberalism: A shift to a False Opportunistic Mindset The United States has centered itself on the basis of liberty, individualism, and the idea of equal opportunity to succeed for each person in its society. Though seemingly ideal, these national morals do not consider the oppressive nature of labor forced upon Black workers and minorities in the country. After the abolishment of slavery, the concept of “freedom” to work and choose one’s own path emerged; this freedom, however, did not account for the fact that without any claim to property or ability to necessarily start the ball rolling in a society that disproportionately prioritizes white workers, “work” was not as opportunistic as expected. At the turn of the 1970s, a shift in labor

As Angela Davis explains, post-slavery “freedom” and economic opportunities “had not undergone a radical transformation-they were no less impoverished than they had been during slavery” (Davis, 4). This led to anger and frustration by Black workers and other middle-class citizens, feeling as though the promised success and ability to work up the economic ladder was instead being replaced by repetitive labor that was done to simply make a living and get by. One particular song that helps to portray these ideas is “Chain Gang” by Sam Cooke, which was written in 1960 about the labor that working class men do on the Chain Gang, or the forced labor on sights such as railroads, construction sites, and farming. In the song, Cooke sings about how during their work the men “[wear] a frown” all day long, “moaning their lives away” (verse 1 line 4). Along with these lyrics, Cooke also utilizes repetition in both the words as well as the background noises of the song. With constant moaning and grunting in the background, it becomes apparent to the listener very quickly that the labor that working class citizens did was physically demanding, requiring a grueling repetition that doesn’t actually yield any economic success. The workers described in this song fall into the pre-neoliberal

One song that touches on this is Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusha Man”, which describes the typical lifestyle of a “hustler” in America’s neoliberal society. Expressing the unsure and unpromised struggles, one line states “insecure from the past, how long can a good thing last?” (Line 24) in the beginning verses of the song. Later, the song explains how Mayfield “been told [he] can’t be nothing else, just a hustler in spite of [him]self” (Line 43). Ultimately this song, though associated with a lifestyle that was more respected and accepted by America’s capitalistic and market-based society, shows the insecurity and struggle to do well and continue to uphold financial stability when living as a hustler who’s jobs are laregely unreliable and difficult to pursue. This perception of work, though still portraying a struggle for success within the working class, is much different from the pre-neoliberalism work songs that were written before its emergence in the 1970s and beyond. Previously, work songs (like Sam Cooke’s “Chain Gang”) negatively