‘We're a Winner’: Popular Music and the Black Power Movement

Abstract

Ideological conviction and emotional courage are critical characteristics of successful political and social movements. The Black Power Movement (BPM), which rose out of the struggle for political and social rights associated with the Civil Rights Movement (CRM), possessed characteristics of ideological conviction and emotional courage. In contrast to the CRM, the BPM called for a more active political challenge and cultural consciousness-based programs to accompany the struggle for rights. The BPM, which called for blacks to unite and organize around a powerful sense of self and community, exemplifies influences that inspire and drive social movements, such as strong identification with cultural consciousness and political solidarity. Social movements are typically viewed through the lens of political systems and individual action, but culture is critical to movement analysis. This article links culture and politics by employing music to represent culture and political opportunity structure to explore social movement. Utilizing literature, musical forms and interviews this article examines the proposition that cultural forms and political opportunities are critical to successful social movements.