African 202 (Section 3): Blues to BLM: Music and Black Political Thought

This course looks at the development of African American musical styles from early Blues tomusic synonymous with the Civil Rights era, to contemporary hiphop and the BLM movement.African American music has undeniably shaped the contours of mainstream American popularculture. But these sounds have been equally influenced by socio-political and historicalimpositions intended specifically to curtail Black expression. Engaging with key texts in AfricanAmerican music and political thought, students will not only become familiar with the artists ofthese time periods, but also come to understand the often harrowing contexts in which theycreated their monumental works.