Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello recently opened up about the deep-rooted connection between his music and social activism, revealing that his journey as an activist began even before he picked up a guitar.
"I was an activist before I was a guitar player," Morello shared during a recent episode of "Whiplash." The renowned musician, who started playing guitar at age 17, had already made waves with his student activism a year prior.
Morello's early experiences with racial injustice shaped his worldview profoundly. As the only black child in his predominantly white Illinois town, he encountered discrimination on the playground from a young age. However, his mother Mary, now 101 years old, played a pivotal role in developing his social consciousness.
Despite their modest means - his mother working as a single mom and public high school teacher - she exposed him to diverse perspectives from her experiences around the world. Her involvement in African liberation struggles and her family's coal-mining background in Illinois provided young Morello with a unique lens through which to view society.
The guitarist's Catholic upbringing, with its strong emphasis on liberation theology, further reinforced his commitment to social justice. "Standing up for the poor, standing up for the oppressed... has always kind of been a part of my DNA," Morello explained.
Rather than viewing his musical career as a choice, Morello sees it as a calling that found him. "I didn't choose to be a guitar player; that chose me," he reflected. "I had to find a way to weave my convictions into my vocation."
Today, Morello continues to blend his musical talents with his dedication to social causes, carrying forward the activist spirit that has defined both his personal life and professional career.
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