The Black Influences in Music That Have Been Whitewashed

A brief look at the history of black resistance, from spirituals to rap.

Sal
Momentum
Published in
10 min readAug 5, 2024

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Photo by Julius Drost on Unsplash

When they see us, a Netflix series based on the experiences of the Central Park Five, left me in tears. For days, I reflected upon this injustice. It’s impossible to forget the look of helplessness in their eyes, the five boys whose innocence was pitted against their racial identity. This case seemed to have a pre-determined ending, just like thousands of others before involving Black suspects, with humiliation, incarceration, torture, and at times, death,

Another case involved Eric Garner, a 43-year-old Black man who became a household name after footage of police choking him to death played repeatedly on TV. At one point, his little granddaughter stood in front of her screen to shield her mother from seeing her father fight for his life. The Central Park Five were imprisoned for 13 years, as they were released when the actual rapist confessed. However, despite a five-year investigation, the police officer who murdered Garner was not fired or even tried for committing any crime.

In both of these situations, could these people, their loved ones, and their community ever get back what they lost with this traumatizing incident, overturning their lives completely? Are those few in…

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Momentum
Momentum

Published in Momentum

Momentum is a blog that captures and reflects the moment we find ourselves in, one where rampant anti-Black racism is leading to violence, trauma, protest, reflection, sorrow, and more. Momentum doesn’t look away when the news cycle shifts.

Sal
Sal

Written by Sal

I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner!

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