In 1960, when Ray Charles reprised this ballad, he put a totally new spin on the popular American song. He sang about the state of Georgia where he grew up, a segregationist state whose racist policies he was still subject to at the time. Sixty years later, in the midst of the American election campaign, the song he made famous still resonates in people\u2019s minds…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3rd November 2020 \u2013 the day of the American presidential elections in the state of Georgia, where interminable queues stretched out in front of the polling stations. Some voters had to wait almost 12 hours before posting their ballot in the box. This was no accident. In large cities like Atlanta \u2013 with largely African-American populations \u2013 the Republican state government had ensured that there were far fewer polling stations per capita in black neighbourhoods, in order to discourage voters who were more likely to cast their votes for the Democrats. But in the wake of this election, two world-renowned black figures have emerged from Georgia. There was always the immense Ray Charles, eternally associated with the song \u201cGeorgia on My Mind\u201d, which he sang at every single one of his concerts (he must have sung it more than 10,000 times!), but since 2020, Georgia also has Stacey Abrahams, an energetic 46-year-old Democratic lawyer, who has been making headlines thanks to her years of pushing African-Americans to vote, enough to swing the election! She has definitely put Georgia on our minds, thanks to her long term work in this southern state of the United States, once the seat of a terrible segregation that still manages to rear its ugly head when it comes to electoral boundaries. Newly elected president Joe Biden and his vice-president Kamala Harris, an avowed fan of black music, paid tribute to Georgia and the state\u2019s genius in their victory montage, directed by Lorraine O\u2019Grady, a heroine of the Harlem parades. There are no images of the two winners, victorious in Washington, D.C. Instead there are average Americans appearing in a golden frame to the tune of \u201cAmerica The Beautiful\u201d, performed by the legendary Ray Charles in a tribute to the country\u2019s newfound unity. And it\u2019s quite a symbol because Charles and his song \u201cGeorgia on My Mind\u201d really were on everyone\u2019s mind during the campaign. In the predominantly Republican state, the song could be heard everywhere during the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n