How Can Music help the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement considering its influences in The Civil Rights Movement? The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement is a descendant of the Civil Rights Movement. Although several decades apart, both demand the social equality of African Americans. The Civil Rights Movement succeeded in some aspects, but there is obvious room for improvement. In acceptance of this fact, the Black Lives Matter movement has become more prevalent. One contributing factor to this movement’s success is music.
In the fight to achieve civil liberties, African Americans used music to help spread uplifting messages of peaceful change. From Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar to Sam Cooke and Bob Dylan, music has helped the rise and influence of both movements. Furthermore, music’s presence in the Black Lives Matter movement will help promote a positive and unifying message that will lead to real changes being made. Music played a key role in harnessing the negative energy harbored by African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.
In the early 20th century, African Americans endured lynching mobs, debt peonage, police violence, rape, and residential and labor discrimination. On top of discrimination, heinous hate crimes were committed against blacks. One of these crimes was the case of Emmett Till. He was a 14-year-old teenage boy who was kidnapped at gunpoint, tortured and killed because he whistled at a white woman. The crime shook the country to its core because of its sheer brutality. Emmett Till faced hours of relentless torture and was badly disfigured before his death. His mother, Mamie Till, held an open casket funeral where his battered body lay.
In an article written by Joshua DuBois, a former head of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Executive Office of the President of the United States, and a widely recognized author, he states that Ms,Till’s action made Emmett Till’s story, “ ... A rallying cry-In part because [of] his mother bravely left the casket at Emmett’s funeral open, so that everyone could see the devastation”(Dubois). This simple act unleashed shockwaves. Also, a photograph of Emmett Till’s body was printed in a magazine which allowed it to be viewed by millions.
The image showed Till’s mutilated and disfigured body. Sadly, the even nationwide attention of the case did not help indict the perpetrators. Less than two weeks after Till was laid to rest, a white jury acquitted the suspects after not even an hour of deliberation. This stirred anger and animosity in people. It also highlighted the severity of the Jim Crow segregation laws (The Death… ). Completely disturbed and filled with rage, a need for change erupted. However, anger and negativity were first transformed into a positive force by musicians. Musicians used their platform to spread messages of peace and hope.
Bob Dylan, a contemporary legend, wrote and sang about Emmett Till. In his track, The Death of Emmett Till otherwise known as The Ballad of Emmett Till, he pays tribute to the teenage boy. He also uses his lyrical brilliance to awaken people’s consciences. In The Death of Emmett Till Dylan (1962) sings, “If you can’t speak out against this kind of thing, a crime that’s so unjust, your eyes are filled with dead men’s dirt, your mind is filled with dust, your arms and legs they must be in shackles and chains, and your blood, it must refuse to flow, for you let this human race fall down so God-awful low! The lyrics are haunting. But they show the power of songs and the impact music had in the Civil Rights Movement. Bob Dylan is just one of a dozen musicians that played pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement. The Freedom Singers had significant success too. They educated people about the Civil Right Movement through songs that lyrically helped spread change through peaceful protest. They performed in marches, demonstrations, jails, rallies and churches.
Once, when three Civil Right activists were murdered in Mississippi, the members wrote a song dedicated to them called In The Mississippi River. This song was written while they were driving past the Mississippi as bodies of not just the three but more were being discovered (kolin). The bodies disposed of in the Mississippi River echo the case of Emmett Till, who just several years before was submerged in the Tallahassee River with a, “Heavy cotton-gin fan attached with barbed wire to his neck to weigh him down”(Emmett… ).
As the Movement was reaching its peak, the Freedom Singers helped raise awareness and funds through their music. One of the original members, Ruth Mae Harris, said in an interview with National Public Radio that, “Without the songs of the movement, personally I believe that there wouldn’t have been a movement,”(Freedom… ). She is right. Without music, the Civil Rights Movement would not have had the same impact or results. Especially with establishing the strategic use of non-violent methods of achieving change, music was a necessary force.
Protesters and leaders utilized non-violent strategies which were strengthened by musicians, ultimately leading to societal changes. Unfortunately, there is much change that needs to occur. There are still young boys similar to Emmett Till who are losing their youth for unjustifiable reasons. Seventeen-year-old Jordan Davis — fatally shot by a white man in 2012 following a dispute over loud music — is just one example of the hundreds of unarmed African Americans that have been killed due to racial profiling and stereotyping.
In a published and peer reviewed journal, Dr. Kelly Welch, a Villanova University professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice gathers that, “Following the Civil Rights Movements, the linkage between Blacks and crime was galvanized. The stereotyping of Blacks as criminals are so pervasive throughout society that ‘criminal predator’ is used as a euphemism for ‘young Black male’ (Welch). ” This misconception has led to an unofficial policy that targets African Americans. Welch expands on the idea that blacks are seen as more of a threat and are immediately suspected of taking part in criminal activities.
Jordan Davis is proof of injustice, as he was killed while listening to Hip Hop music, a genre that has links to the African American stereotypes/persona. Michael Dunn, the white shooter, complained about the music and after a brief argument fired 10 shots at Davis’s car, killing him. The Hip Hop music might have presented to Dunn a type of stereotype that would have led him to fire unceremoniously at a 17-year-old boy. Even as the car sped off, Dunn continuously fired shots. The Daily Beast reported that Dunn and his girlfriend drove to a hotel and ordered pizza.
They didn’t report the shooting and continued their day as if the incident was a normal occurrence. In response to this everyday violence that occurs against African Americans, famous musicians are using their platform to highlight the issues and demand change. An award winning rapper, J Cole, is just one example. He released a new single called Be Free in the wake of protests in Ferguson, Missouri, after unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was killed in 2014 by a white police officer. In Be Free, J Cole (2014) references to police brutality and violence.
In one verse, he is quoted saying, “Can you tell me why, everytime I step outside my niggas die, I’m letting you know, that there ain’t no gun they make, that can kill my soul…” The strong and powerful emotions expressed in this song relate to what a lot of African-Americans feel as a result of the inexcusable killings of young black men. And as these emotions are turned into art and expressed with music they send a message of unity and need for change with as little violence as possible. It is undeniable that music helped both movements promote a national call for change.
By converting the negative energy caused by heinous crimes and frustrating everyday struggles into pieces of art, musicians helped make the Civil Rights and the Black Lives Matter movements what they have turned out to be. From the story of Emmett Till, who was used as inspiration for composers for many years, and modern musicians like Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar, who help highlight the problems facing African American communities and young men, music is present in both movements’ successes. In the 1950’s and early 1960’s, music motivated protesters to their causes and helped the spread of peaceful and hopeful messages.
Songs like We Shall Overcome, A Change is Gonna Come, and We Shall Not Be moved were the anthems of the Civil Rights Movement. These songs contained lyrics that sent heart’s dreaming about a future of equality and much more. Lyrics from A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke (1964) spoke exactly of that future. “It’s been a long… A long time coming but I know, Change gonna come…” And a change did. A change that gave blacks equality under the law and eliminated segregation. These songs were sung by activists, protesters, and leaders of the movement in rallies. They brought the spirit of the people up.
They also showed the people’s determination and resolve. We Shall Overcome was a protest song recorded by artists Joan Baez (1962) and Mahalia Jackson (1963). It accompanied the Civil rights Movement and inspired it to march on forward and progress with its emotional and heartfelt lyrics: “We shall overcome someday,We’ll walk hand in hand,We are not afraid,We’re on to victory,We shall live in peace someday. ” The lyrics of the songs were true to their words. And advocated the movement’s nature and cause. People were united under the umbrella of music to create change for the better.
All the frustration and anger of the people over their unheard cries for help because of the day-to-day inequality they faced was finally given a chance to be heard through music. In the Civil Rights movement, music helped people unite and create a positive and unbreakable atmosphere. The same happened with the Black Lives Matter movement in the 21st century. In modern days, Music is used by popular artists to send messages of positivity and unity. Currently, the world is raving about Beyonce’s new single Formation. Performed live for the first time in the half-time show of the recent Super Bowl, the song has dominated the charts.
Behind the funky beat and synchronized dancing, however, is a message. The song and the music video attack the growing police brutality and economic disparities in communities of color. The music video and lyrics, as reported by Business Insider, “evoke[ing] powerful images of black cultural pride, oppression, wealth, tragedy, and resilience” (Logan). Beyonce, using her influence and position in the music industry, talked about major issues that affect African Americans and sent messages similar to those in the Civil Rights Movement.
Another live performance — during the Grammy Awards — by one of the best rappers on the scene, Kendrick Lamar, did the same. It was a controversial performance that emphasized the large percentage of blacks in prisons. The visuals of the performance were eye-catching and direct. Micah Singleton, a seasoned and appraised journalist by The Huffington Post said, “The rapper delivered the performance of the night, walking out as part of a chain gang to perform The Blacker The Berry with his band locked inside jail cells”(Singleton). This especially sent a very clear and direct message to the masses.
African Americans are six times more likely to be incarcerated than whites. As of now they make up one million of the 2. 3 million incarcerated population. Kendrick Lamar by making a connection with the current struggle of black people advocated for change. Also, his follow-up song, Alright, made sure the African American population felt at ease and that people cared. This helps moderate any emerging violence against police or government officials that stems from outrage and anger. Music, for the most part, has helped both movements suppress violence.
However, there are moments where even music cannot stop violence from occurring. In the Civil Rights Movement, the tactic used to destroy segregation,discrimination, and inequality was non-violence. However, protesters did not apply that philosophy when they defended their own property, churches, and most importantly their lives. Curtis J Austin is an associate professor and expert in the Civil Rights Movement and African American History. He is also an accomplished author and a coordinator of the center for oral history and cultural heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi.
In his published paper entitled “On Violence and Nonviolence: the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi,” he goes on to say that, “… Not striking back while participating in a public protest was quite different from not defending one’s home, church, or community center from imminent attack”(Curtis). Protesters sometimes took arms to defend themselves. Although the movements leaders utilized a very much non-violent strategy and music helped establish that, violence still persisted in threatening people’s safety. In modern day, the violent protests in Ferguson, MO, were also not stopped by music.
This leads to some doubting music’s true power in unifying and creating peace. However, it must be kept in mind that music has proven throughout history to be a powerful force that can spread messages and get a response from the masses. So, knowing its positive effects on the Civil Rights Movement, music can be used to accomplish much more for the Black Lives Matter Movement. Many now understand that music was an instrumental force in the Civil Rights Movement. It was influential in helping the social movement achieve its goals without much violence.
It also helped the campaign advocate against the injustices African Americans faced daily. That was a major accomplishment on its own because African Americans were neglected and silenced for generations. James Baldwin, one of the brilliant minds behind the Civil Rights Movement, once stated in an article published by The Progressive that, “The country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too early” (Baldwin). He believed that the road towards freedom was a long way from over — and it still is.
The nation still harbors negative stereotypes, discrimination, and racism. To defeat the awful challenges African Americans face, music-making will be needed. Music can help transform negative feelings created by inexcusable crimes into a positive force. It can inspire change as words of resistance and encouragement are chanted at peaceful protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement, giving voice to oppressed and unheard African Americans in their quest to defy statistics foretelling division and death and achieve equality and prosperity.