Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) was a poet who used his music as a medium to critique racism, politics, and mass media. Scott-Heron was born to Bobbie and Gil Heron in Chicago, Illinois, but was sent to live with his grandmother, Lily Scott, in Jackson, Tennessee at 18 months old. Unfortunately, she passed away when Gil was 12. At 13, Gil and his mother moved to New York City, where he lived on and off for the rest of his life. The exact circumstances surrounding the poet's death are unclear, but the cause of death is most likely due to illness related to HIV.
Gil Scott-Heron used poetry to combat the circumstances of being a black man in the mid 20th century. His album Pieces of a Man tells the stories of the Black experience. The album’s title track tells the author’s story about the "pieces" of himself. Throughout Black-American history, black people have been been thought of as less than human, or three-fifths of a person. This poem emphasizes Scott-Heron’s humanity. The song “Home Is Where the Hatred Is” follows a drug addict and the scrutiny that he faces. The song emphasizes the mistreatment of individuals struggling with drug addiction, and rehumanizes the character.
Much like other Civil Rights activists, Scott-Heron’s music criticized the United States government and its systemic oppression of black and brown people. He also acknowledged the roles that the black community has played in their own oppression. For example, in one of his most popular songs, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” the artist tells his black listeners “You will not be able to stay home, brother/You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out/You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and Skip out for beer during commercials/Because the revolution will not be televised” Scott-Heron reminds black folx that progress will be made only by action.