Published in 2018
144 pages
Stephanie Shonekan is assistant professor of ethnomusicology and black studies at the University of Missouri. Her doctorate in Ethnomusicology is from Indiana University Bloomington. She has published articles on afrobeat, Fela Kuti, as well as American and Nigerian hip-hop. Her book The Life of Camilla Williams, African American Classical Singer and Opera Diva was published in 2011. Her chapter on Nigerian hip hop was published last year in a book titled Hip Hop Africa. Her current research is an exploration of American race, identity and culture through the lens of soul and country music. Her classes at Mizzou include Introduction to Ethnomusicology, Studies in African Music, World Music, Soul & Country Music, Black Women in Music, and Global Hip Hop. In 2008, inspired by the music and revolution of Fela’s mother and the Nigerian market women’s revolution of the 1940s, Shonekan wrote and produced a short live action film titled Lioness of Lisabi. The film was awarded first prize at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival in 2010 and by the Girls Inc. Film Festival in Sarasota, Florida in March 2012.
In 2008, inspired by the music and revolution of Fela’s mother and the Nigerian market women’s revolution of the 1940s, Dr. Shonekan wrote and produced a short live action film titled Lioness of Lisabi. The film was awarded first prize at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival in 2010 and by the Girls Inc. Film Festival in March 2012.
What is this book about?
Music has always been integral to the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, with songs such as Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” J. Cole’s “Be Free,” D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s “The Charade,” The Game’s “Don’t Shoot,” Janelle Monae’s “Hell You Talmbout,” Usher’s “Chains,” and many others serving as unofficial anthems and soundtracks for members and allies of the movement. In this collection of critical studies, contributors draw from ethnographic research and personal encounters to illustrate how scholarly research of, approaches to, and teaching about the role of music in the Black Lives Matter movement can contribute to public awareness of the social, economic, political, scientific, and other forms of injustices in our society. Each chapter in Black Lives Matter and Music focuses on a particular case study, with the goal to inspire and facilitate productive dialogues among scholars, students, and the communities we study.
From nuanced snapshots of how African American musical genres have flourished in different cities and the role of these genres in local activism, to explorations of musical pedagogy on the American college campus, readers will be challenged to think of how activism and social justice work might appear in American higher education and in academic research. Black Lives Matter and Music provokes us to examine how we teach, how we conduct research, and ultimately, how we should think about the ways that black struggle, liberation, and identity have evolved in the United States and around the world.
