Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in concert, August, 1974
Tony Morelli/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
Last week we shared music inspired by Black Lives Matter, a movement that recently developed in response to numerous deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes.
Rooted in the experiences of Black people in this country who actively resist our de-humanization, #BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society … When we say Black Lives Matter, we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. We are talking about the ways in which Black lives are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity. —BlackLivesMatter.com
This week, we present a sampling of music from previous generations, inspired by a similar need for change. Though these songs are calls social justice in the past, they stand the test of time and still ring true today.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Ohio
This is a rock classic about a iconic moment in U.S. history.
Early recording with photos from Kent State shooting
Live concert recording
Carrie Newcomer: Do No Harm
A wonderful singer-songwriter brings a bit of history to life through this ballad.
Bruce Cockburn: They Call It Democracy
Cockburn covers an amazing range of emotions and devastating assessment of what is going on around the world.
