In Virginia, back in 1759, a white Scottish servant Elizabeth Gallimore, fell in love with a black slave whose name had been lost over time. Their great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson, Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, who performs under the pseudonym Fantastic Negrito, has released the compelling concept album White Jesus Black Problems based on his recently discovered lineage. The ambitious multi-media project includes a companion film.
“There’s a feeling out there right now that we can’t get anything done because we’re so polarized, so entrenched in our ideologies and unmoved by facts or logic, but I wanted to share this story because I think it smashes that narrative to pieces. I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, both Black and white, who showed me that anything is possible. There was a lot of ugliness in their story, but there was a lot of beauty, too, because in the end, perseverance overcame,” Fantastic Negrito stated.
The Album track “Man with No Name” is a painful reminder that often the identity and experiences of the oppressed are often erased. With the song and album, the stories of the courageous forgotten are being reclaimed. The tune also contains a galvanizing message of hope with the line “I keep moving on.” It is a potent statement of perseverance that continues to resonate.