Song has always been an important part of freedom struggle. Throughout the 20th century, music has been central to Black struggle. Whether the ballads of Paul Robeson, the profound spiritualism of Mahalia Jackson or Bernice Johnson Reagon and the Albany Singers, music always defined the tenor and tone of Black struggle., Spirituals and gospel music permeated the ranks of civil rights protestors and Black churches, which were often organizing sites and informational hubs for the Black Freedom struggle. The Black Cultural and Arts revolution of the 1960s and 1970s featured Black spoken word and early Hip-Hop music. The Anti-Apartheid struggle of the 1980s combined the spirtitualism of Chrisitan gospel with reggae. Subsequent struggles such as the Black Lives Matter movement have featured a mixture of these genres tailored to contemporary musical trends and tastes.
(Note: This blog has been reprinted--with the exception of the intro and cover media-- with permission from Abdul Akailmat, PhD)
Nina Simone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjLPMK1PcgQ
Bob Marley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ-yZ2WwXqk
Kirk Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjLPMK1PcgQ
Arrested Development https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWlvOolOic4
Tracy Chapman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv8FBjo1Y8I
Gil Scott-Heron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwSRqaZGsPw
Dennis Brown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CGI0lS1ir4
Paul Robeson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb-bQePCgKg
Simon Javan Okelo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8mVmZEUcQ
Isiah Shaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxmr6wwFYVo
Black Stalin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktzKDWUiJZM
Earth, Wind, and Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wri1fwwMAqQ
#Spirituals #Gospel #SpokenWord #Reggae #Hip-Hop #FolkMusic