Overview
The lessons below explore the integral role music has played in major social justice movements in American history. In two introductory lessons, students examine how “the beat” in American popular music has both brought people together and threatened the status quo, and they discover how musical performance has been used as a way to promote awareness and encourage activism. The collection then details music’s role in specific social justice movements, from the Civil Rights, Anti-War, and Women’s movements in the 1960s to the Black Power and Red Power movements in the early 1970s. Also included is a lesson on the role social anthems have played for the African American community, from Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” The path includes the 2-part lesson Sun City: A Musical Force against Apartheid, which recounts how an international community of musicians helped bring an end to South African Apartheid. Also included is a lesson on how, through public pressure, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day became a federal Holiday. The pathway ends with lessons on more contemporary social movements, such as MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter.
Lessons
lesson:
The Beat as an Object of Celebration and Concern in Segregation-Era America
How has “the beat” been an object of both celebration and concern in the history of popular music?
lesson:
Protest as Event
Since the 1960s, how have artists used musical events to promote change?
lesson:
Music and Political Movements
How did Sixties Soul help give voice to the Civil Rights movement?
lesson:
The Music of the Civil Rights Movement
How did popular music reflect the values of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and help the movement convey its message?
lesson:
The Impact of 1960s Antiwar Music
How did antiwar protest music provide a voice for those opposed to the Vietnam War?
lesson:
Soul Music and the New Femininity
How did Aretha Franklin represent a new female voice in 1960s popular music?
lesson:
The Rise of Black Pride
How did Social Soul reflect a new vision of African-American identity in the late 1960s and early 1970s?
lesson:
Funk Asserts Itself
How did 1970s Funk respond to African-American life in the decade following the Civil Rights movement?
lesson:
The Music and Poetry Behind the Red Power Movement
What was the Red Power movement, and what role did Folk and Country music play within it?
lesson:
Sun City: A Musical Force Against Apartheid – Part 1
What was South African apartheid, and how did musicians unite to challenge it?
lesson:
Sun City: A Musical Force Against Apartheid – Part 2
What was South African apartheid, and how did musicians unite to challenge it?
lesson:
“Alright” and the History of Black Protest Songs
How have Black artists throughout the 20th century used music to speak about racial injustice in America?
lesson:
How a Bill Becomes a Law: Legislating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
How does a bill become a law in the United States of America?
lesson:
Private: “Praying” and the #MeToo Movement
In what ways might Kesha’s legal battle and her song “Praying” reflect larger issues present in the #MeToo movement?
lesson:
#BlackLivesMatter: Music in a Movement
How have musicians responded to the Black Lives Matter movement?