How music and social movements express protest

Music and social movements describes music connected to social movements, as jazz experimentation was tied to movements including Civil Rights and Black Power in the '60s and '70s, while punk rock has been associated since the late 1970s with left-wing or anti-establishment ideologies and bands have used political lyrics attacking sources of social problems.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 1 hr 15 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   music and social movements · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   Music and social movements: Billie Holiday recorded and popularized the song "Strange Fruit" in 1939. Written by Communist Lewis Allan, it addressed Southern racism, specifically the lynching of African-Americans, and was performed as a protest song in New York venues, including Madison Square Garden. Chicano musicians used music to express Mexican-Americans' experiences of discrimination and oppression in the United States. Their songs addressed immigrant rights, labor struggles, Chicano identity, and police brutality.

2. Read
   

   How British Teens Blended Pop and Politics - JSTOR Daily · JSTOR Daily · 2 min read

   Rock Against Racism's music-and-activism carnivals, starting in 1978, drew anywhere from 2,000 to 100,000 people each. Although RAR didn't necessarily lead youths to join socialist organizations or the Labour Party, it encouraged many young people to identify with antiracist and left-wing politics.

3. Watch
   

   The evolution of American protest music · YouTube · 7 min watch

   American protest music has moved from oral tradition to radio, music videos and interactive platforms. Throughout, it has expressed political and social unrest and adapted to reach new audiences.

4. Book
   

   How Music Works · Bookshop.org

   How Music Works by David Byrne discusses music's form and influence through career experiences and examines the conditions that supported new, avant-garde artists at CBGB, including Patti Smith, the Ramones, and Blondie.

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