Music and Civil Rights: Theo Smeltzer

Music and Civil Rights

functions of music

1. Resist oppression
2. Foster strength through community
3. Create unifying forces

1963, Washington DC

"Take the chains off"

"Music seems the most accessible art form, and hip-hop culture has become one of the main idioms for European urban youth facilitating the political expression and participation of the racialized among them"

Works Cited

Lamar, Kendrick. “Kendrick Lamar & Tanna Leone - Mr. Morale (Live from Paris Version).” YouTube, 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgdXI5ghvtY. Accessed 04 Dec. 2024. Lamar, Kendrick. “Kendrick Lamar - i (Official Video).” YouTube, 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aShfolR6w8. Accessed 04 Dec. 2024. Monk, Thelonious. “Thelonious Monk Don’t Blame Me (Live in Denmark).” YouTube, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuzSR0CBuN4. Accessed 04 Dec. 2024. Civil rights movement. (2024, November 28). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_rights_movement

These are the artists that I chose to feature in my paper, as they both made significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Listening to their music is a good way to get a sense of who they are as performers, so take a listen!

The Artists

Contribute how you can

While some may argue that "armchair activism" is ineffective, in reality, any contribution to a movement helps to further its goals even if it is just spreading awareness.

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What can we learn?

Looking at both musical artists from the past and contemporary musical artists, it's obvious that musical artists can and have contributed to the civil rights process and that they will continue to do so in the future.