THIS IS AMERICA: MUSIC AND IMAGE IN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT

Shelby Padgett, Katherine Reed, John Koegel, Nicole Baker
2021 Zenodo  
The U.S. Civil Rights Movement has a long history and directly relates to the current Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Music has long played an important role in BLM and earlier related movements in building community and promoting racial justice. Some contemporary scholars focus narrowly on the importance of social media in BLM, centering its significance in the same way that others have seen music as essential in studying earlier movements. Though its use of social media sets Black Lives
more » ... ter apart from the past and fundamentally changes BLM's trajectory and nature, so too does the movement's music. Together, both have played an essential role in linking image and message through music video and viral hashtags and posts. This thesis analyzes key differences and similarities between Black Lives Matter and past U.S. movements of racial reckoning through the use of music and image. The longevity and global reach of the contemporary movement are aided by social media and image, used in tandem with the music. The structural, lyrical, and stylistic properties of these songs show connection to earlier Black American culture and also embody the current popular genres of today. Their accompanying music videos illuminate the artists' intentions: to clearly disseminate their message in alignment with the Black Lives Matter movement. These songs and videos show the development of music's role in the fight for social justice.
doi:10.5281/zenodo.4947329 fatcat:xeuv43objvanti27pn3352bh3u