Carefully curated for your auditory pleasure
“Mommas Cry” by Michael Kirby
Michael Kirby-McGann, known simply as Michael Kirby, is a New York City based music artist and middle school dean from Hartford, CT. In 2018, he released his debut album, Spying On Heaven, of which he donated 100% of its proceeds to Food Bank For New York City. On October 18, 2023, Kirby released his third album, Shoulders Carry Honor, which navigates the topics of temptation, burnout, and working in the field of education with brutal honesty.
“Mommas Cry” addresses the hold that toxic masculinity has on communities of color, and describes what it looks like when problematic messages about what it means to be a man are internalized by children. The song was inspired by the death of a former student of mine due to gun violence.
Michael Kirby’s track “Mommas Cry” is a poignant reflection on the influence of toxic masculinity within communities of color. Drawing from personal experience and the tragic loss of a former student to gun violence, Kirby delves into the impact of problematic notions of manhood on young minds.
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
