Where is home

While listening to one of my favorite bands Bloc Party, I came through a song that had an underlining theme of racism. "Where is Home?" is linked with the murder of Christopher Alaneme, an eighteen year old Nigerian who has moved to UK in 1970s. Alaneme was stabbed to death on 21st of April in the year of 2006 after being racially assaulted by several white men and he happened to be a close family friend of the lead singer Kele Okereke. The police claimed that it was a 'racist murder'. The song directly relates this case with "we all read what they did to the black boy". The song also criticizes the helplessness of the singer himself, of these racisms in UK through personalised lyrics. Okereke emphasizes on the term 'home' and how there is not a 'hope' of settling in in this world of 'different rules'. The song questions the identity of black race in Britain. There were several murder cases which occurred recently in London that included deaths of many blacks residing in the city. The lyrics "In every headline we are reminded, that this is not home for us" once again accentuates the question of identity of black race. This song highlights the still occurring racism in society along with the inability to put an end to it. Okereke stated in an interview that he does not feel "comfortable" as a "second generation black person" and interrogates the society, crying out throughout the song, "Where is Home?".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSD50fbQ610

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/how-the-killing-of-christopher-alaneme-is-a-shocking-insight-into-racist-britain-475670.html