Matthew Patania 
Using her platform to bring attention to the importance of mental health, the state of social inequality, and the effects of social change, R&B/World Folk singer-songwriter Eunice Keitan demonstrates a musical prowess like no other.
Released on October 2nd, Eunice’s latest offering is an anthem of hope and solidarity. “Standing With You” is the voice of many whom were shook by the death of George Floyd. During the emotional protests and social unrest that followed, Eunice stumbled upon a pamphlet that was circulated immediately after the lynching of Emmett Till. She felt as though the subject matter was congruent with the current time, thus making her think about these issues in a different light. She began asking herself the question of “What needs to be done so that this cycle of hate and injustice comes to an end?” And that is when the seeds of “Standing With You” were sown.
Eunice wanted to create a feeling that was sombre and honest in recognition of the lives senselessly taken by police brutality. An uplifting hope that can give one a sense of urgency to shake any feeling of complacency and to listen to each other with greater empathy.
The song is a promise to do better with the hope that if we allow ourselves to move forward, together as one, we will begin to see real change. Eunice exemplifies this by singing the line, “When you can’t breathe, we’re all dying!” Illustrating the grievance of Floyd’s death and a community’s courageous fight against brutality. We are all made in the same image and should to some degree, feel responsible for another person’s right to life. Evening out the scale of unequal weight, that says that the colour of one’s skin determines one’s fate.
Along with the release of the single comes a music video that is just as powerful. Highlighting the history of The Civil Rights movement in the words of the very people who lived those experiences. Standing up for the right to live in a world with more hope and a little more justice. “It is important to remember the difficult work and the lives given to get us here,” says Eunice. “It is as equally important to reflect on what each of us is doing to create a fairer, more just, and a more peaceful world.”
May we walk with each other till the end, as I stand with you my friend.
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