culture of protest: let freedom sing

Posted by rflacks on: Wed 29th Feb, 2012

We'll do one more program this week relating to Black History Month. The focus: a number of performers in recent years have made projects reviving and restoring the music of the civil rights movement years. These include Mavis Staples, John Legend, Chuck D, The Roots. Somehow decades later the songs still provide material for the freedom struggle soundtrack. So we'll listen to a collection of these efforts, layering history and inspiration for what's next.

culture of protest thurs 3/1/12 6-7pm pst kcsb 91.9fm www.kcsb.org

culture of protest: singing the long civil rights movement

Posted by rflacks on: Wed 22nd Feb, 2012

Chuck D has made a recorded compilation that's an excellent resource for African American History Month. It's called 'Let Freedom Sing' and its 3 CD's provide a remarkable array of songs that span the long struggle. This week we'll feature songs from that collection that document the pre-sixties efforts to challenge segregation--including some not able to be released when first recorded. It's one of those instances when the songs are windows to a past that has to be remembered to make sense of the present.

culture of protest thurs 2/23/12 6-7 pm pst kcsb 91.9fm www.kcsb.org

Tags: Chuck D, pre sixties civil rights movement, songs of civil rights movement

culture of protest: african-american divas

Posted by rflacks on: Wed 15th Feb, 2012

Its African American History month, and key promoters of its observance have declared that this year's theme ought to be a focus on African American women and their contributions to culture. Guided by this idea, and by the passing of Whitney Houson and Etta James, this week's radio program features 'Black Divas"--a collage of the voices of many of the galaxy of artists who have so enriched our spirits, from Bessie Smith to Ruthie Foster, featuring songs that speak to the history as well as the person.

culture of protest thurs 2/16/12 6-7pm pt kcsb 91.9fm www.kcsb.org

Tags: African American History Month, black women artists, Bessie Smith, Ruithie Foster, Josephine Baker

culture of protest: abe lincoln's freedom chimes

Posted by rflacks on: Wed 8th Feb, 2012

On the radio this week we celebrate Lincoln's birthday, featuring some classic musical works honoring him--works rooted in the progressive cultural front of the Depression. We'll hear the once popular but now rarely performed Lonesome train by one time Santa Barbarian Earl Robinson, as well as Copland's Lincoln Portrait. And in addition, some tracks from Chimes of freedom, Amnesty International's just released blockbuster tribute to the work of Bob Dylan. And finally the voice of Ruthie Foster, the blues/ soul artist who appears in town Friday.

culture of protest thurs 2/9/12 6-7 pm pt kcsb 91.9fm www.kcsb.org

Tags: Lincoln, Copland, Dylan, Ruthie Foster, popular front

About

Dick Flacks here...sociology professor emeritus at UCSB. Budget cuts mean that I can't continue my annual course on political sociology. Maybe a blog will be a space for me to continue to ruminate and pontificate. And maybe (as a veteran teacher on these matters) I can offer some ways of thinking about what's happening nationally and locally that will be useful, as we struggle to make sense of the tortured complexities of these times. I've been a leftwing activist for more than 50 years. What we've been struggling for all these years is full democracy--to increase the opportunities for people to have real voice in the decisions that affect them. Step by step over these years we've made some gain...but it is a long march, and one that never ends. The big barrier to democracy in our society is the concentrated power of corporations. At the same time, democracy is undermined by the felt powerlessness of people in their daily lives--the persistent belief that our problems are only our own personal concern. It's a strong cultural theme--such individualism--constantlly reinforced by mass media and everyday circumstance. But the current big crisis of the economy maybe makes it more possible for more people to understand that we've got to have social reform and economic reform. So my writing here is aimed at helping us figure out what to think and act on that so that we can hope for new democratic possibilities. WE'll be talking about the local and the national. The blog name comes from an old labor union hymn: Step by step the longest march can be won. Many stones can form an arch...singly none. And by union what we will can be accomplished still. Drops of water turn a mill, singly none, singly none. For 27 years I've had a weekly radio show on KCSB (91.9 fm. www.kcsb.org) It's called the Culture of Protest. It's comes from my fascination with music and social movements. I collect 'political' and 'protest' music and that's what we play each week (Thursdays 6-7 pm). So sometimes here we'll share and talk about that. I'm worried about one thing about the blogosphere. And that's the way that some people use the blog comment space for anonymous nastiness. I'm sick of the kind of political blather that assaults the motives of others, and sees dark conspiracy behind every thing one doesn't like. This kind of stuff is helping to poison the political atmosphere. So I'm going to strive for a civil tone to whatever interaction may happen on this blogsite.