Introduction

Abstract

Within the Black community, popular culture has always been a resource and tool of resistance against oppression. This volume documents and analyzes the numerous ways Black popular culture has critically considered notions of social justice. In this edited volume, it is posited that Black popular culture is more than merely entertainment. Black Popular Culture and Social Justice: Beyond the Culture is a seminal interdisciplinary text that examines the use of various genres and mediums of Black popular culture to engage diverse political, social, gendered, and economic concerns. This introductory chapter lays out the three sections of this text. Section 1, “Black Television, Movies and Social Justice,” examines racism, sexism, intersectionality, police brutality, feminism, and politics on the small and big screen. Section 2, “Black Music and Social Justice,” examines Black music and Black radio shows’ intersection with the fight for social justice. Section 3 “Black Speculative Fiction, Comics, Protest Art and Social Justice,” explores the roles that Black science fiction, comic books, and comic book characters and visual artists engage in social justice efforts. This compilation demonstrates the numerous ways Black popular culture is involved and assertive in the fight for social justice.