Music as a form of protest has a long history in the U.S. Activists have used songs to guide countless movements, from the abolition fight in the 1700s to anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and beyond.
In North Carolina, protesters have used music to organize, embolden, and unify in a variety of settings over the years.
Host Frank Stasio talks with Vincent Roscigno, sociology professor at Ohio State University, about the music of textile mill workers in the 1920s and ‘30s. Roscigno co-authored the book “The Voice of Southern Labor: Radio, Music, and Textile Strikes, 1929-1934” (University of Minnesota Press/2004).
Stasio also talks with Mary D. Williams, traditional gospel singer and educator, about the role of African-American spirituals during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s, as well as Laila Nur, musician and community organizer, about current examples of political music in the state.
