As Black Lives Matter protests continue across the country, Lin-Manual Miranda revealed that he has seen many protesters take inspiration from his hit Broadway show. From signs featuring powerful Hamilton lyrics like “History has its eyes on you” and “This is not a moment, it’s a movement,” the Hamilton creator said he’s proud but not surprised to see that his musical has gained relevance amid the anti-police brutality protests.
“What’s weird about the show is, because it brushes up against sort of the origins of our country, it just hits different,” Miranda said on Tuesday night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Hamilton creator said the hit Broadway show will always have something to say about the moment, “because we’re constantly dealing with the past.” The protests occurring in cities nationwide have called for defunding the police and a reflection of how political and the criminal justice systems perpetuate racism, especially toward Black people.
“We’re never done with the past,” he said. “We’re never done with the sins of the founders.”
The composer’s Tonight Show appearance also included a reflection on his 2009 Hamilton performance for the Obama family and a round of “Random Object Freestyle.” In the latter segment, Miranda created on-the-spot raps about random objects including an N95 mask, a Nintendo Switch and a stuffed Mickey Mouse toy.
A filmed version Miranda’s Hamilton will start streaming on Disney+ on July 3.
Watch the interview below.
