#BLACKLIVESMATTER & THE
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCES, GOALS, AUDIENCE AND METHODS OF BOTH
MOVEMENTS AND HOW THEY ARE MORE OF THEIR OWN AS OPPOSED TO ONE
CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT.
BY: BRANDON BURKE
THESIS
IF SOMEONE PREDICTED THAT THE NATION WOULD BE GEARING UP TO FACE A SECOND CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN
2015, MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE IN DISBELIEF. HOWEVER, TO THE DISMAY OF MANY PEOPLE, THE PAST FEW YEARS IN
THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN SHOCKING AND IN MANY CASES UNACCEPTABLE. SINCE THE MURDER OF TRAYVON
MARTIN, MICHAEL BROWN WAS ALSO MURDERED AND THE CHURCH SHOOTING IN CHARLESTON HAPPENED. IN
RESPONSE TO THE POLICE BRUTALITY AND THE RACISM THAT HAS RE-PRESENTED ITSELF, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
MOVEMENT WAS STARTED. MANY AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND CELEBRITIES HAVE RESPONDED TO THE OUTRAGE
WITH A SOUNDTRACK TO ACCOMPANY THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT. AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR, IT IS VERY
EASY TO EQUATE THE PROTESTING GOING ON IN AMERICA TODAY TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 1960S.
HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH BOTH MOVEMENTS SHARE SIMILAR MOTIVATIONS AND METHODS, THERE IS AMPLE EVIDENCE
TO SUGGEST THAT THE MOVEMENTS ARE DISSIMILAR IN THEIR MUSICAL FOCUS AND AUDIENCE.
IN ORDER TO MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT I WILL PRIMARILY FOCUS ON THE TWO ANTHEMS OF BOTH MOVEMENTS;
“ALRIGHT” BY KENDRICK LAMAR AND “WE SHALL OVERCOME” BY THE FREEDOM SINGERS. THE STUDY OF THE
MUSICAL FOCUS OF THESE ANTHEMS AND THE MUSICAL CLIMATE IN WHICH THEY WERE RELEASED WILL HELP TO
ESTABLISH THE DIFFERENCE IN MUSIC’S INFLUENCE IN BOTH MOVEMENTS.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
• SAID TO HAVE STARTED
IN
1955 FROM THE MONTGOMERY
BUS BOYCOTT TO THE
1960S
• LEADERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT INCLUDED; MLK, MALCOLM X, ROSA PARKS,
STOKELY CARMICHAEL AND BAYARD RUSTIN
• IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE MOVEMENT INCLUDED; MURDER OF EMMETT TILL, MONTGOMERY
BUS BOYCOTT, FREEDOM RIDES, SIT-INS, THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, BIRMINGHAM
CHURCH BOMBINGS, MEDGAR EVERS, MLK AND MALCOLM X ALL ASSASSINATED, VOTING
RIGHTS ACT PASSED
#BLACKLIVESMATTER
• CREATED IN 2012 AFTER, “TRAYVON MARTIN’S MURDERER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, WAS
ACQUITTED FOR HIS CRIME, AND DEAD 17-YEAR OLD TRAYVON WAS POST-HUMOUSLY PLACED
ON TRIAL FOR HIS OWN MURDER.” (BLACKLIVESMATTER.COM/ABOUT)
• LEADERS OF BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT INCLUDE; ALICIA GARZA, OPAL TOMETI,
PATRISSE CULLORS, DERAY MCKESSON, SHAUN KING, NEKIMA LEVY-POUNDS
• IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE MOVEMENT INCLUDE; MURDER OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND ACQUITAL
OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, FREEDOM RIDE OF AUGUST 2014, CHARLESTON CHURCH
SHOOTING, MURDER OF MICHAEL BROWN, ERIC GARNER, SANDRA BLAND, TAMIR RICE AND
FREDDIE GRAY. ALL VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY
MUSICIANS IN BOTH MOVEMENTS
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
BLACKLIVESMATTER
• CHUCK BERRY
• KENDRICK LAMAR
• NINA SIMONE
• LAURYN HILL
• BILLIE HOLIDAY
• COMMON & JOHN LEGEND
• JOHN COLTRANE
• JANELLE MONAE & WONDALAND RECORDS
• SAM COOKE
• D’ANGELO & THE VANGUARD
• THE FREEDOM SINGERS
• J COLE
WE SHALL OVERCOME
WE SHALL OVERCOME, WE SHALL OVERCOME,
WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY;
OH, DEEP IN MY HEART, I DO BELIEVE,
WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY.
• DERIVED FROM GOSPEL SONG BY CHARLES ALBERT
TINDLEY “I’LL OVERCOME SOMEDAY”
THE LORD WILL SEE US THROUGH, THE LORD WILL
SEE US THROUGH,
THE LORD WILL SEE US THROUGH SOMEDAY;
OH, DEEP IN MY HEART, I DO BELIEVE,
WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY.
• VERY
• STRAYING FROM PROFANITY
RELIGIOUS
• CHANTED AT PROTESTS
• SEEN AS THE ANTHEM FOR THE PROTESTS
ALRIGHT
ALLS MY LIFE I HAS TO FIGHT, NIGGA
ALLS MY LIFE I
HARD TIMES LIKE GOD
BAD TRIPS LIKE: "GOD!"
NAZARETH, I'M FUCKED UP
HOMIE YOU FUCKED UP
BUT IF GOD GOT US WE THEN GON' BE ALRIGHT
NIGGA, WE GON' BE ALRIGHT
NIGGA, WE GON' BE ALRIGHT
WE GON' BE ALRIGHT
DO YOU HEAR ME, DO YOU FEEL ME? WE GON'
BE ALRIGHT
• RELEASED IN 2015
• WON BEST HIP HOP VIDEO AND BEST IMPACT
TRACK AT BET HIP HOP AWARDS
• BOLD IN LANGUAGE CHOICES
• CHANTED AT PROTESTS
NOW
• KENDRICK LAMAR IS PUT ON A PEDESTAL FOR HIS
CONSCIOUS MUSIC
• POWERFUL
AWARDS
PERFORMANCE WAS GIVEN AT
2015 BET
CAN THIS BE THE “FUTURE” OF PROTEST MUSIC?
•
HTTP://WWW.VH1.COM/NEWS/206999/STREAMYS-2015-FUTURE-MARCH-MADNESSPERFORMANCE/