5th Grade Boy Goes Viral for Sam Cooke Cover of “A Change Is Gonna Come”: “I’m Afraid To Die”

A fifth-grade boy’s version of Sam Cooke’s hit song “A Change Is Gonna Come” has gone viral.

The boy’s rendition of the song won him Best of Show at a local talent contest in Shreveport, Louisiana, and a video of him singing the super-soulful, emotional track has earned him attention all over the internet. His name is Jordan Hollins.

NowThis media company wrote on their Twitter platform, “A 5th-grade boy is going viral for his beautiful rendition of Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come.’ Jordan Hollins’ performance won him Best of Show at a local talent contest in Shreveport, Louisiana. If you have 60 seconds, this might just be the video you need to watch today.”

In the video, many in the audience are impressed, offering audible responses to the young boy’s vocal performance. It’s truly remarkable. Check out a clip of the rendition here below.

The video comes at a particularly hopeless moment throughout the country and whether the young boy’s performance of the song of hope was intentional in this moment of crisis is unclear at this point. Nevertheless, the song hits even more impactfully as a result.

As many know, Texas, which is not far from Shreveport, was rocked this week when an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, was shot up by an 18-year-old person (more accurately: with AR-15-style rifles). In the wake of the tragedy, many on social media and beyond have decried the gun laws (or lack thereof) that led to the shooting.

And thanks to young Hollins, there is now a bit of music—hopeful music—to listen to that might help in this sad time of need. And maybe now—maybe—a true change will come and our children will feel safer when they go to school.

Photo via Twitter