“King Holiday,” Listening 25 Years Later

King Dream Chorus & Holiday Crew

“King Holiday”

(Polygram Records) 1986

“Who do we thank for teaching us that we all have the strength to love?” asked Ricky Bell of New Edition on “King Holiday.” Rhetorically, Bell asked on behalf of his generation learning vicariously about the Civil Rights Era through elders and outdated textbooks. Barely older than him, Teena Marie responded earnestly, her vibrato timbre demonstrating why she had props among (mostly Black) fans: “We thank the prince of non-violence for showing us the way.”

Shortly after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, American music ceased being colorblind.