Posted on July 21, 2021

‘Whitey on the Moon’ Poem Garners Social Media Attention on Anniversary of Moon Landing, Bezos’s Spaceflight

Taiyler Simone Mitchell, Business Insider, July 20, 2021

Gil Scott-Heron’s poem “Whitey on the Moon” has been used in the past to critique the space race. And the 1970 poem resurfaced this week in response to the recent influx of billionaires launching into the lower regions of space.

On the anniversary of the 1969 moon landing on Tuesday, Jeff Bezos, former Amazon CEO, founder of space company Blue Origin, and wealthiest man in the world, spent a total of 10 minutes and 10 seconds in space {snip}

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Scott-Heron, best known for his song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” released “Whitey on the Moon” in 1970 following the 1969 moon landing.

The People’s City Council in Los Angeles posted a video of the artist, who referred to himself as a “bluesologist,” reciting the poem on Tuesday in response to Bezos and Branson’s ventures into space. The tweet went viral, receiving more than 5,600 likes, and it was shared more than 2,400 times.

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