The weight of words I
The Weight of Words I is an installation and interactive performance piece that addresses President Trump’s use of divisive, hate-filled language. Embellished paper shredders were paired with stacks of paper
printouts containing Trump's lies, bullying comments, and sexist, racist, fascist, narcissistic, hateful, greedy tweets and/or quotes. Viewers were asked to shred Trump’s words, both as an act of catharsis and activism. The shredded paper was stuffed into handmade ankle weights with metal placards containing Trump's words, symbolizing the collective weight his compassionless rhetoric has had on the world.
The phrases drawn onto each piece were inspired by folk music singer Woody Guthrie, who wrote thousands of songs throughout his life, often including political messages into his lyrics. Guthrie often played with a guitar that was carved with the phrase "This Machine Kills Fascists." In 1954 he wrote “Old Man Trump,” a song about his landlord, Donald Trump Sr., who he called out for his racist housing practices and discriminatory rental policies.
The inaugural installation of this piece took place at The Comfort Station in Chicago in 2017 and included a performance by The Paulina Hollers' Jim Becker and Lea Tshilds. They played a full set of Woody Guthrie tunes during the show, including recently discovered lyrics Guthrie wrote in the 1950's about his landlord, Donald Trump Sr., condemning his racist ways. Becker wrote music to go along with Guthrie's lyrics.
In the 1970's the justice department sued our current president and his father for discrimination against African Americans for violating the Fair Housing Act of 1968 in 39 of their buildings. This song is particularly relevant today after Trump's divisive statements following the violence that erupted during the white supremacist rally in Charleston.
I suppose that Old Man Trump knows just how much racial hate
He stirred up in that bloodpot of human hearts
When he drawed that color line...
...Beach Haven ain't my home!
No, I just can't pay this rent!
My money's down the drain,
And my soul is badly bent!
Beach Haven is Trump’s Tower
Where no black folks come to roam,
No, no, Old Man Trump!
Old Beach Haven ain't my home!
Old man trump
Reuben
Brown Eyes
The Paulina Hollers performed another Guthrie song that still resonates loud today following Trump's decision to end DACA, "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos" (also known as "Deportee") is a tune Guthrie wrote about a plane crash in 1948 that killed 28 Mexican agriculture laborers being deported back to Mexico. The remains of the four crew members that died were returned to their families, but the 28 laborers were buried in a mass grave.
Some of us are illegal, and some are not wanted,
Our work contract's out and we have to move on;
Six hundred miles to that Mexican border,
They chase us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves.
We died in your hills, we died in your deserts,
We died in your valleys and died on your plains.
We died 'neath your trees and we died in your bushes,
Both sides of the river, we died just the same.
