Renee Nicole Allen | 27 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L. 239 (2025)
From Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” to J. Cole’s “Be Free,” music has played a vital role in energizing social justice movements and elevating the legal and social issues facing Black people. An examination into the legal, historical, and social contexts for the music created during ten key movements in Black history reveals the role of lyrics and rhythm. Through the lens of music, ten movements—Freedom, Lynching, the Great Migration, Civil Rights, Black Power, Black Feminism, Police Brutality, Mass Incarceration, Black Love, and Black Lives Matter—demonstrate that Black music is more than entertainment. It is a critique of social ills, a reflection of strength, a source of empowerment, a roadmap for resistance, and a proposal for change.
The Music & The Movement: Race, Rhythm, and Social Justice, a seminar course at St. John’s University School of Law, examines music’s vital role in energizing social justice movements. This Article examines the seminar course and its necessity in the law school White Space. Part I of this Article describes the inspiration for the course and includes a course description. Part II describes the law school White Space and identifies the problems associated with omitting race and social context from law school courses. Part III briefly describes three movements—Lynching, the Great Migration, and Black Lives Matter—and their relation to the music and law of each historical time period. The conclusion demonstrates how the course equips students with the sociohistorical context necessary to advocate for racial and social justice.
