we are the world 🌎🌍🌏

 A little note before you read: My kid was born in the early 2000s, and when We Are the World came out in 1985, I was about the age my kid is now. I'm 64, and this song genuinely inspired me and gave me hope. ❤️🌎 I wonder how many young people today have even heard it, and how many of us older folks have forgotten what it meant. Maybe it's time to pass that hope along.

we are the world —🌍🌎🌏🌐🗺 when music brought us together

January 28, 1985. Forty-one years ago, some of the biggest names in music came together for one extraordinary night. The result was We Are the World, a song that reminded the world what we can accomplish when we put our differences aside and work together for the greater good.

The idea began with Harry Belafonte, who wanted musicians to use their fame and influence to help people suffering from famine in Africa. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote the song, and legendary producer Quincy Jones brought an incredible group of artists together to make it happen.

After the American Music Awards, 45 musicians gathered at A&M Studios in Los Angeles. Think about that for a moment! Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel and so many others, all in one room, donating their time and talent to a cause bigger than themselves.

Quincy Jones famously placed a sign at the studio entrance that read, “Check your egos at the door.”

And they did.

The single was released on March 7, 1985, as part of USA for Africa, raising millions of dollars for famine relief.

more than a song

Man, a lot has happened since 1985. The world has changed in so many ways, and many young people today may not even know the story behind this remarkable collaboration.

But watching or listening to We Are the World today reminds me of something we should never forget.

When people work together for the greater good, good things can happen.

Boy, did this take vision, luck, timing and love. Someone had to imagine what was possible, bring all those different personalities together, and convince them to put aside their individual interests for a common purpose.

That is no small achievement!

We don't have to be famous singers to make a difference. We can contribute our time, our skills, our creativity, our compassion or whatever we have to offer. Sometimes a small act of kindness becomes part of something much bigger than we ever imagined.

Look around us today. There is so much division, so much suffering, and so much emphasis on what separates us. Meanwhile, people everywhere are struggling to find housing, feed their families, escape conflict and simply get through another day.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we put even half as much energy into helping one another as we put into fighting with one another.

We are not all the same. We don't have to agree on everything. But we are sharing this planet, and we have a responsibility to care about what happens to one another.

That is what makes this song special to me, even after all these years.

It is a reminder of what humanity can do when we choose cooperation over competition, compassion over indifference, and love over division.

We are the world. We are the people. And we still have the power to make a difference.

What a beautiful thing to remember.

Put a little love in your heart. The world could use it.

— Tina Winterlik | Zipolita