#BLACKLIVESMATTER & THE CIVIL RIGHTS

MOVEMENTA 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

• CHUCK BERRY

• NINA SIMONE

• BILLIE HOLIDAY

• JOHN COLTRANE

• SAM COOKE

• THE FREEDOM SINGERS

BLACKLIVESMATTER• KENDRICK LAMAR

• LAURYN HILL

• COMMON & JOHN LEGEND

• JANELLE MONAE & WONDALAND RECORDS

• D’ANGELO & THE VANGUARD

• J COLE

WE SHALL OVERCOME

• DERIVED FROM GOSPEL SONG BY CHARLES ALBERT TINDLEY “I’LL OVERCOME SOMEDAY”

• STRAYING FROM PROFANITY

• VERY RELIGIOUS

• CHANTED AT PROTESTS

• SEEN AS THE ANTHEM FOR THE PROTESTS

WE SHALL OVERCOME, WE SHALL OVERCOME,WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY;OH, DEEP IN MY HEART, I DO BELIEVE, WE SHALL 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.

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 PERFORMANCE WAS GIVEN AT 2015 BET AWARDS

ALLS MY LIFE I HAS TO FIGHT, NIGGAALLS MY LIFE IHARD TIMES LIKE GODBAD TRIPS LIKE: "GOD!"NAZARETH, I'M FUCKED UPHOMIE YOU FUCKED UPBUT IF GOD GOT US WE THEN GON' BE ALRIGHT

NIGGA, WE GON' BE ALRIGHTNIGGA, WE GON' BE ALRIGHTWE GON' BE ALRIGHTDO YOU HEAR ME, DO YOU FEEL ME? WE GON' BE ALRIGHT

CAN THIS BE THE “FUTURE” OF PROTEST MUSIC?

• HTTP://WWW.VH1.COM/NEWS/206999/STREAMYS-2015-FUTURE-MARCH-MADNESS-PERFORMANCE/