Protest Song
One protest song from the 1960s that stands out is Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddman.” It is a song about the racism in the South that was tearing the country apart in the 1960s. As an African American and friend of Malcolm X, Nina Simone was angry about what she saw and this song’s lyrics express that anger: “I can’t stand the pressure much longer,” she sings early in the song. Compared to another protest song from today called “No Justice No Peace” by Z-Ro from 2016, not much has changed. Z-Ro is another African American who is angry about police violence against blacks. His song, like Nina’s is about taking a stand and facing the racism straight on. This paper will compare and contrast three themes from these two songs.
The first theme that emerges in both is the racism against blacks. Nina Simone sings about blacks having to fight for their rights because of inequality. Z-Ro raps about blacks being assaulted by police because the police are racist. Both are singing about an unfair system, but Nina is describing the lengths to which blacks must go to protest for their rights: “Picket lines / School boycotts”. Z-Ro is rapping about the lengths to which police will go to oppress blacks, even using violence against them: “No justice, no peace
It's us against police / Every time I turn around they shoot another brother down in these cold, cold streets.”
The second theme that emerges is a sense of hopelessness: Nina sings: “Hound dogs on my trail / School children sitting in jail / Black cat cross my path / I think every day's gonna be my last.” The images that she brings to mind are of a criminal being hunted down and innocents being locked up. She is out of breath and does not think she will see tomorrow, the racism has gotten so bad. Z-Ro sings: “Shit, I can't even go where I wanna go / Cause I might not even make it to the corner store / Maybe we all gone get shot, I don't even know no mo' / They kill our kids, it seems like they don't get to grow no mo'”—the implication being that the very way of life for African Americans is threatened by the presence of violent police who are out to get them—not just to oppress them but to outright murder them now. The hopelessness is bad in Nina’s song, but it is even worse in Z-Ro’s.
The third theme that emerges is the demand for justice and equality. Nina sings: “All I want is equality / For my sister my brother my people and me.” She identifies the goal that the African Americans are struggling to achieve: it is equal rights. Z-Ro is rapping also for justice and equality, but the goal he has in mind is a bit different. He wants just to survive—and to survive he knows he needs to stand up and fight back: “I'ma protect...
Music and Gezi Park Protests When the mayor declared the destruction of the historic park in the heart of Istanbul to build a shopping mall, local people began camping there in order to prevent heavy equipment vehicles from entering. Following the attack of the police, protests spread throughout Turkey, specifically in Ankara and Izmir (Aknur). Although such events have become the routine in recent years, the Gezi Park Protests were not
Art of Protest It is interesting to think in terms of artistry when discussing social actions, but when the protest, and similar concepts are correctly performed, they are definitely an art form. In the United States, the civil rights protests that have been ongoing (because constant vigilance is required for a people's maintenance of their rights) since the 1950's, and earlier if the work of abolitionists and learned men such
One of the most powerful songs produced by Rage Against the Machine is "Know Your Enemy." The enemy is within, is the message of the song. The enemy is sometimes the United States itself: as in the case with the Rodney King beatings. Police brutality had been an ongoing political issue long before Rodney King's story made the mainstream media. Moreover police brutality disproportionately impacted persons who were politically
Censorship in Music Censorship Under the Guise of Protecting the Children Rock and Roll Culture Hip Hop Culture Is Censorship in Music Viable and Does it Make a Difference? There have been many attempts by society control music. Governmental statutes, agency regulations, business controls and parents have all tried to censor the music. Sometimes they have succeeded and sometimes they have not. The examination of various aspects of rock and rap music censorship involves general
The wide variety of music styles and the wide varieties of people came together for a new experience that redefined a generation and created an understanding that whatever their differences, the similarities were more important. Part of this may well have been the impact of the many assassinations of that time: those at the concert were ready to see the country produce something good and positive. CONCLUSION According to police records,
Under the new policy, the United States was committed to keep all commitments to treaties, provide a shield if nuclear power threatens the freedom of an ally or a nation that is important to U.S. security, and, in cases of other aggression, supply military economic assistance in accordance with treaty commitments, but should look to the nation threatened to assume primary responsibility to provide its own manpower for its
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now