A 2000-word text introducing, contextualizing, and analyzing your music video.
A source list containing at least 10 primary and/or secondary sources (not included in word count).
Your sources list MUST INCLUDE:
2 peer-reviewed academic articles
1 book published by an academic press
2 primary sources
Revolt. (2015). Police Brutality Leads To Cleveland Protesters Chanting Kendrick’s ‘Alright’
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Z6bNTun3ZXg?si=qC2t20rhih2kbLlK
This primary source YouTube video uploaded by Revolt provides footage and a report of a
real-time peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Cleveland where protestors are chanting
Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” in response to an incident of police brutality where a 14-year-old
was harassed for “public intoxication”. This footage is one of many incidences of police brutality
in the United States against Black people. The video also assists me in illustrating how the song
“Alright” that will be used for this project has evolved beyond just music and has transcended to
become an anthem. Its chants have become a global symbol of resistance and hope especially
within the Black Lives Matter movement. The video also captures how the song unifies and
energizes activists and provides evidence of the song’s role in contemporary social justice
movements.
Lee, S. (1989). Do the Right Thing [Film]. Universal Pictures.
“Do the Right Thing” is a comedy-drama directed by Spike Lee that explores racial tension in a
neighborhood in Brooklyn culminating in a violent riot. The movie touches on topics such as
police brutality, the complexities of a multi-racial locality, and a community’s unified response to
oppression. I watched this film a year ago for a literature course and it seems well suited for this
project. The film draws a theme parallel to “Alright” as they both capture the spirit of the Black
community’s struggle against systemic racism. It uses Hip Hop music, integrating songs like
“Fight the Power”, as a significant cultural and political tool to protest against racial injustice,
further amplifying its themes about resistance, making it a relevant primary source in
understanding the use of songs in contemporary protests.
Wijeyesinghe, C. L. (Ed.). (2021). The Complexities of Race: Identity, Power, and Justice in
an Evolving America. NYU Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2tr53d1
This book is published by the New York Press comprehensively examines race and its
implications in contemporary America. It explores themes of racial identity, dynamics of power,
and the pursuit of justice within society. It is a collection of various scholarly essays and
provides an understanding of racial justice movements including the themes of resistance and
resilience which are a part of my final project. The chapters explore how race intersects with
other systems of oppression, including economic positions, sexual orientation, nationality,
gender, and faith, helping understand race, racism, and racial justice from an intersectional
approach. By exploring all such topics, this book offers a critical insight into the systemic nature
and the socio-political context of the issues addressed in Lamar’s lyrics in the song “Alright”.
Lipscomb, A. E., Emeka, M., Bracy, I., Stevenson, V., Lira, A., Gomez, Y. B., & Riggins, J.
(2019). Black Male Hunting! A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Secondary Impact
of Police Induced Trauma on the Black Man’s Psyche in the United States. Journal of
Sociology and Social Work, 7(1), 11-18. https://doi.org/10.15640/jssw.v7n1a2
This academic article explores the psychological impact of police-induced trauma on Black men
in the United States. The article is an in-depth qualitative research study that interviews 62 Black
men and investigates secondary traumatic effects after hearing, seeing, or reading the fatal
shooting of Stephon Clark by the Sacramento Police Department. The findings reveal themes of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder related symptoms like intense emotional reactions such as anger
and sadness and psycho-physiological symptoms like hypervigilance, flashbacks of the incident,
and dissociation due to this targeting of Black people. The article highlights the need for
culturally sensitive practices to address trauma, especially police-induced trauma. The study is
directly relevant to my project as it provides empirical evidence of the trauma experienced by
black communities due to systemic racism and police brutality.
Joseph, P. E. (2009). The Black Power Movement: A State of the Field. The Journal of
American History. 96(3), 751-776. http://www.jstor.com/stable/25622477
The article provides a comprehensive overview of the Black Power movement, analyzing its
origins, evolutions, and its impact on American society. The article delves into the political,
cultural, and social dimensions of the movement, identifying its roots in the Civil Rights era and
its growth towards the aim of achieving racial equality and justice. It analyzes the cultural,
political, and social dimensions of Black Power and also addresses historical debates
surrounding the movement. This article gives us a broader context of the Black Power movement
and its impact on contemporary issues of racial justice while touching upon themes of resistance
and resilience, cultural pride which will help me build my final project that analyzes the same
themes found in “Alright” while providing me with a deeper understanding of ideological
foundation that shapes modern activism.