Black History Month - Honoring Alishia Keys

At a young age, it was clear that Keys was gifted. When starting piano lessons at the age of seven, she floored  her mother and piano instructor with her talent. She was later accepted into the highly selective Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan. She graduated as valedictorian at the age of 16. She started her career in music in 1998, and it quickly blossomed from there.
      It wasn’t until a friend of hers, after hearing the news of the death of Michael Brown, and the warfare taking place in Syria, asked her one day, “Why are you here?”  This profound question about our existence made Keys take a look at her life, and the legacy she would leave behind. Up until that point, most of her songs had been about love and heartbreak. Being arguably one of the world’s best known singers, she knew she was not utilizing her platform to its fullest potential.
      Shortly after, Alicia founded the movement, “We are Here”. The mission of the organization states, (We Are Here) “is a coalition of organizations joined together to give Millennials an exciting way to change the world. We will breakthrough today’s ADD environment with campaigns that are always current, positive, conscious, and ready to inspire. Equality and Racial Justice, Women and Children, Climate and Consciousness are our major focus areas.  We Are Here for a better future.” Since its launch, Keys expanded her topics that her music covers to things like the crisis in the Middle East, education, and gun reform, among other things. She’s also created a short film called, “Let Me In” which gives a different perspective to accepting refugees into a country.