Fight the Power: Music and Social Change
Fight the Power: Music and Social Change (FPOW) is a CTY course offered at New Haven.
Course Description
From the CTY Course Catalog (2018):
From the 19th-century spiritual “Go Down Moses” to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award winning Hamilton: An American Musical, music in our culture has performed a number of vital social functions, such as sending coded messages along the Underground Railroad and rallying workers during labor disputes. In this course, students analyze cornerstone popular songs--including Florence Reece’s “Which Side Are You On?,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?,” Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name,” and Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way—within their social and political contexts--the Harlan County War, Vietnam, the Rodney King riots, and the struggle for LGBTQ rights. As students examine works from all genres of music, including field hollers, blues, jazz, folk, country, soul, rock, rap, and hip-hop, they develop a deeper understanding of the rich history and interplay of music and politics in the United States. They explore a wide variety of artists, songs, music videos, and live performances, analyzing how performers and their music help shape cultural awareness, reflect their specific historical moments, and enact social change.
