Dear Fellow White Grandparents —
WHERE’S THE ACTIVIST MUSIC THAT CAN INSPIRE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE LIKE IT DID IN THE 60s AND 70s?
Harry Belafonte wrote that “Artists are gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization’s radical voice.” Nina Simone echoed that sense of purpose: “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.”
60s and 70s activist music
Our generation came of age in the 1960s and 70s.
In the United States, and beyond, activist music of that era both inspired — and was inspired by — opposition to racist discrimination, white supremacy, and Johnson’s and Nixon’s war against Vietnam. It both inspired — and was inspired by — the fight for civil rights and the campaign to remove Nixon, a corrupt and criminal president.
Whatever our backgrounds, that music stirred emotions, challenged us to think about power as a force in service of humanity, not as a weapon against it, and called us to organize, demonstrate, and build movements for change.
I’m asking myself
Where is the activist music of 2026?
What music is both inspiring — and being inspired by — opposition to 2020s racist discrimination, white supremacy, and Trump’s war against Iran?What music is both inspiring — and being inspired by — the defense of constitutional rights and rule of law, and an end to state-sanctioned authoritarianism, tyranny, and corruption?
My soundtrack
In the 60s and 70s, music — including activist music — was popularized through radio and vinyl. You’ll have your own soundtrack from that time.
Here’s mine
🔺Blowin’ in the Wind, 1963, Bob Dylan
🔺A Change Is Gonna Come, 1964, Sam Cooke
🔺People Get Ready, 1965, The Impressions
🔺People Got to Be Free, 1968, The Rascals
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🔺Gimme Shelter, 1969, The Rolling Stones
🔺To Be Young, Gifted and Black, 1970, Nina Simone
🔺War, 1970, Edwin Starr
🔺Southern Man, 1970, Neil Young
🔺Ohio, 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
🔺What’s Going On? 1971, Marvin Gaye
🔺Chicago, 1971, Graham Nash
🔺Mercy, Mercy, Me (The Ecology), 1971, Marvin Gaye
🔺Respect Yourself, 1971, The Staple Singers
🔺I Am Woman, 1972 , Helen Reddy
🔺Dialogue (Part I and II), 1972, Chicago
See links to these songs under Comments. Turn up the volume. Follow the lyrics.
A soundtrack for 2026
Again, where’s the music to inspire political and social change now?
My search for contemporary activist music has not been encouraging. Bruce Springsteen, U2, Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, and Margo Price are the only major artists I’ve found who are doing their “artist’s duty…to reflect the times” — the “gatekeepers of truth…[speaking] civilization’s radical voice.”
It’s our children’s and grandchildren’s job to urge and challenge the artists they follow to lend their voices to this moment in history. As their elders, it’s our job to encourage them to do so. It’s also our job to call on artists of our generation to add their voices.
Most importantly, it’s our job…our duty…to show how activist music can help build movements for change.
