Wynton Marsalis: 'Apathy Is the Enemy; Participate'

March 4, 2007 — -- Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis is about to release his most political album yet. "From the Plantation to the Penitentiary" condemns complacency and calls on citizens to act.

Wynton Marsalis: Apathy is the enemy. Participate. … With the song, "Where Y'All At," I'm just asking the question. It's really, "Where are we at?" Because I know with the generations, we always want to blame a younger generation. … What are we giving the younger generation? So the question of "Where Y'All At" started with all you '60s radicals, world beaters, liberal students.

Song lyrics: Liberal students, equal rights pleaders, What's goin' on now that y'all are the leaders. …Where y'all at?

Marsalis: American people means something to me. I've been around this country. I've been in people's homes, all kinds of people, taught people's kids for many years. Our country, we always had so much problems; we still have. … Instead of asking, "What can we do about it?" we have to be spurred to action -- collective action. … Jump in there. Find out where the tax money is going. Find out why something's happening. Write to people. Just be a participant. Go down to your school and see what people are doing. Do your thing, you know.