Ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the Uncommitted Movement hosted a virtual concert, “No Weapons, No War, No Genocide,” as part of their Not Another Bomb campaign, which seeks to end U.S. arms shipments to Israel. The concert was live-streamed via YouTube on August 15 from an intimate venue in West Town.
“We actually launched a week of action, which kicked off here in Chicago,” said Lexis Dena Zeidan, co-chair of The Uncommitted Movement and director of Not Another Bomb. “Folks literally in seventy-five different cities across thirty-three states in America are… hosting actions, where they’re hosting rallies, educational events, literally demanding that we send no more of our tax dollars to fund weapons.”
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 40,000, with thousands more unaccounted for. The Biden administration, which has offered various proposals for a ceasefire, signed off on an additional $20 billion in weapon sales to Israel last week. Throughout the concert programming, Zeidan reminded viewers to sign the pledge calling on Vice President and now presidential candidate Kamala Harris to enact an arms embargo.
Powered by NoorStudios in partnership with MPower, Dream Defenders, USCPR, and Rising Majority, the two-hour concert featured local talents Jamila Woods, Ric Wilson, Sonny Miles, Amira Jazeera, and more. Nearly 800 people tuned in to watch, according to organizers.
“I do this work because it’s what I believe in,” said South Side Chicago rapper Ric Wilson.
Wilson performed two songs, “Pay It No Mind” and “Fight Like Ida B & Marsha P.” The latter is a frenetic call to action with shoutouts to Black freedom fighters and lyrics like: I am the revolution / And the revolution don’t stop / I am change / Soon we will make a change that will change it all.
“I feel like those songs are what I’m feeling right now; it’s the best way for me to express myself,” Wilson said.
The lineup of artists was curated in part by Jamila Woods, who drew from local and national Black, Brown and Arab artistry.
“We have a network of artists who are aligned and want to use their platforms and recognize their role in the power of art, and they’re tapped in. That’s all we can ask for. All we did was ask, and they answered the call,” said Delaney Vandergrift, concert co-host and a national member of the Dream Defenders, a non-profit organization dedicated to the abolishment of prisons.
The performances varied from spoken word to rap to ballads, with some artists serenading viewers from the intimacy of their own rooms. An intimate studio audience of fifteen guests created a vibe reminiscent of NPR’s Tiny Desk, but with an added call to action. Not Another Bomb will continue hosting events during the DNC, including a hybrid event on Wednesday, August 21.
“It means a lot to be a part of the growing chain of voices who are not afraid anymore,” said North Carolina musician and singer Sonny Miles.
Sonny Miles’s passion in speaking out against the genocide in Gaza was shared by all the performers. Ric Wilson ended his set with words that resonated with everyone in the room: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Correction, 8/20/2024: An earlier version of this story identified Delaney Vandergrift as a political strategist for the Dream Defenders; they are a national member.
Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales is a Mexican American independent journalist from Belmont Cragin who is passionate about covering communities of color with a social justice lens. She’s also the music editor at the Weekly.
