In the Spirit, in the Dark: Black Music and Political Activism

How Black music shapes the political identity, consciousness, and engagement of Black youth

From Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar to J. Cole and Janelle Monae, Najja K. Baptist shows us how Black music has, more than ever before, become a form of political participation and resistance that has socialized and mobilized a new generation of Black youth, leading them to enter and remain engaged with large-scale activist movements.

Drawing on surveys with hundreds of youth, interviews with artists and activists, and in-depth content analysis, Baptist shows us how the creation and consumption of Black music has made movements like Black Lives Matter possible. As Black music both responds to and educates its listeners about catalytic political events like police killings, it simultaneously heightens, develops, and sustains the political consciousness of Black youth, particularly in the age of social media. Baptist finds that music predicts--and further shapes--their larger public attitudes toward government, political leaders, and policies, in addition to encouraging more traditional forms of political participation, such as organizing and attending protests.

Ultimately, Baptist invites us into the fascinating, often-hidden space where young Black political consciousness is born and cultivated, driving many to become agents of change.

Najja K. Baptist is Director of the African and African American Studies program and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas. He is also the founding director of the University Advanced Research Team.