The following was originally posted at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle tragically died on August 20, 2020, at the age of 38 years old. The son of influential alt-country artist Steve Earle, like his father he was able to establish a reputation as a gifted

Toyi toyi was the dance of the Mau Mau people in Kenya, as they fought against British colonialism. The dance was embraced by the South Africa anti-apartheid movement as a nonviolent means of challenging systems of oppression.

The collaborative music project “Keleketla!” embraces the call-and response tradition of toyi toyi, as well as the way music and politics can feed off each other to produce a transcendent experience.

Jyoti is one-woman jazz ensemble moniker of experimental soul artist, Georgia Anne Muldrow—a nickname from family friend, the legendary Alice Coltrane

Kevin Gosztola and C.J. Baker compiled some of best albums of protest music released in 2020 (so far), including SAULT, Run The Jewels, and Steve Earle.

Die Jim Crow is the first nonprofit record label for current and formerly incarcerated musicians, and on Juneteenth, the label released their first album, “Assata Troi” by BL Shirelle.

Shadowproof compiled a list acknowledging musicians (primarily Black musicians), who are using their platforms to amplify anti-racist activism.

The post was originally published at Ongoing History Of Protest Songs. On May 25, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis by a white police officer who placed his knee on Floyd’s neck. He uttered the words, “I can’t breathe.” Three other police officers served as accomplices to the murder. In

Steve Earle recorded an album, “Ghosts of West Virginia,” that centers on the survivors of the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion. The third track on the album, which will be released on May 22, is “Devil Put The Coal In The Ground.” It’s a foot-tapping piece of Americana with

The following was originally published at Ongoing History of Protest Songs. Influential Nigerian drummer Tony Allen died on April 30, 2020, at the age of 79. He was considered a pioneer of the Afrobeat genre for his work with Fela Kuti as the drummer and music director of Fela’s backing

Covering around a century, Music Is Power is a book by Brad Schreiber that takes readers on a tour of music that challenged social injustice and spoke to the masses during uncertain times. Schreiber is an award-winning author, journalist, and screenwriter, whose past books include Death In Paradise, Becoming Jimi Hendrix, and Revolution’s