Grammy-winner Regina Belle finds 'Freedom' in new video

ATLANTA - With lyrics focused on the fight for racial justice and equality, Regina Belle’s “Freedom” feels perfectly tailored to this moment in history. But the song’s journey began nearly a decade ago when the Grammy Award-winning singer was asked to write something for the opening of a museum.

“This young man wanted me to come and perform at the opening of his African-American museum in Philadelphia,” Belle said. “Fast forward to last year, and I decided I wanted to put it out for Black History Month. The reason being … all the racial injustices, all of the prejudices, all of the things that African-Americans, specifically, were facing.  And I wanted to do something, I wanted to be a voice.”

Fast forward again, and after a summer of unrest across the country, Belle decided to create a new video for the song. The clip — released on Belle’s social media platforms — uses powerful images from the past, present, and looking toward the future.

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“The biggest message was, for African-Americans, we have to understand who we are," Belle said. "Our history can be convoluted looking in the history books because we don’t see ourselves in the true essence of who we are.”

“Freedom” is just the latest addition to Belle’s sterling body of work, which includes R&B chart-toppers “Baby Come To Me” and “Make It Like It Was,” not to mention the award-winning smash “A Whole New World,” a duet with Peabo Bryson.  

And the singer says she knows that especially in such uncertain times, many people depend on the comfort of her music.

“Music has always helped me,” she says. “I tell people all the time, musical notes are in my DNA. I bleed music. I bleed notes, I bleed chords. So, that is my contribution to being part of the very fabric of people’s lives. Without even knowing their ups and downs, I get to be a part of people’s lives.  So, music is a very powerful tool, and I try to be as responsible as I can with it because I understand its power.”

You can check out the "Freedom" video on Regina Belle's Facebook page here.

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