Music is one of the most complicated arts, and like all art, it is subjective. Music can be filed under different genres and can even misinterpreted. Take the, for example, one of the earliest songs, the Hurrian Hymn composed of plucks produced by a lyre. This song is dedicated to their goddess Nikkal, but I couldn’t figure that out the first time I heard it. For millennia, music is the voice and representation of multiple cultures around the world. Throughout the history of America, varied music is evidence of the diverse cultures that created the nation we have today. Some of the most riveting American music was produced as part of America’s many social justice movements, like the Civil Rights Movement, the Marriage Equality Movement, and the Black Lives Matter Movement.
The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) was a social movement created to stop the racial legalized segregation, discrimination, and violence towards mainly African Americans in the United States. Jim Crow laws established in the 1870s legalized this racist behavior towards African Americans until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A prominent black singer Sam Cooke and his friends were turned away from an all-whites motel in Louisiana in 1963. This experience, and his overall struggle growing up as an African American man in the Deep South, inspired him to write the song, A Change Is Gonna Come. He was shot and killed in December of 1964, two weeks before the song was formally released. The song’s cultural impact exceeded its chart performance, and is considered the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Cooke’s message of justice and equality resonates with people today, as the struggle of achieving civil rights and equality is not done. A Change Is Gonna Come continues to be a beacon of hope for the oppressed then and today.
The Marriage Equality Movement has been going on for decades. Gay marriage has existed for millennia, but has only been legalized in a handful of countries. Obergefell v Hodges (2015) legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in America, after same-sex marriages had become legal in some US states. Lady Gaga continues to be a prominent singer of this movement. Throughout her career, she has attended rallies, parades, and dedicated her actions and performances to the LGBTQ+ community. Gaga’s song, Born This Way, which aimed to uplift the queer community and highlight the differences of others positively, topped multiple charts and numerous records. despite her activism and lyricism, Gaga planted herself as an icon in the queer community and pop culture. Born This Way and Lady Gaga herself are prominent in gay culture and the Marriage Equality Movement.
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement (2013-) aims to highlight discrimination, racism, racial inequality, police brutality, and violence towards black people in America. Despite the movement having started in 2013 following the murders of Trayvon Martin and Rekia Boyd, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis 2020 caused the movement to gain international attention, leading to nationwide protests and unrest in the United States. Prior to Floyd’s death, Kendrick Lamar released the album “To Pimp a Butterfly” in March of 2015. Among the songs on the album, the song Alright stood out the most. The song represents the resilience and struggles black people deal within the face of systemic racism and police brutality. After its release, the song’s lyrics, “We gon be alright” were chanted during BLM protests and easily became the main song of the movement. Kendrick himself also used his platform to talk about social justice and became a voice for the black community.
In summary, music moves with history. Without these movements or any other social justice movements in the world, we wouldn’t have the music we have today. Despite the rather turbulent times Americans and other countries have faced around the world, music is ultimately the heart of culture and how we voice our troubles.
