Songs of Protest: 12 Months of Music That Matters

At JusticeAid, we never underestimate the power of song.

During 2020, we shared a music blog of protest songs, with a different focus each month. Songs of Protest: 12 Months of Music that Matters focused on protest songs with different themes or causes, or that have inspired particular people. In the course of this project, we may have omitted songs that others think are obvious selections. But, we limited ourselves to 10 primary songs a month, with a playlist containing more songs.

These songs are not artifacts—they still live and breathe because they are still relevant today. We need them as much today as we ever have. Please stay in touch and let us know your thoughts.

12 Months of Music That Matters: Music to Vote By
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12 Months of Music That Matters: Music to Vote By

12 Months of Music That Matters: Music to Vote By

Pamela Garlick2023-03-02T15:54:17-05:002020/10/28 |

12 Months of Music That Matters: Women’s Rights
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12 Months of Music That Matters: Women’s Rights

12 Months of Music That Matters: Women’s Rights

Pamela Garlick2023-12-06T12:52:01-05:002020/08/22 |

Music That Matters: Injustices of Policing
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Music That Matters: Injustices of Policing

Music That Matters: Injustices of Policing

Pamela Garlick2023-03-06T20:55:10-05:002020/07/20 |

12 Months of Music That Matters: No Love Excepted
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12 Months of Music That Matters: No Love Excepted

12 Months of Music That Matters: No Love Excepted

Pamela Garlick2023-03-06T21:41:34-05:002020/06/01 |

12 Months of Music That Matters: Economic Injustice
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12 Months of Music That Matters: Economic Injustice

12 Months of Music That Matters: Economic Injustice

Pamela Garlick2023-03-06T18:00:15-05:002020/04/30 |

12 Months of Music That Matters: You Are Only Issued One Earth
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12 Months of Music That Matters: You Are Only Issued One Earth

12 Months of Music That Matters: You Are Only Issued One Earth

Pamela Garlick2023-03-06T21:07:00-05:002020/03/29 |

Songs to Uplift During Trying Times
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Songs to Uplift During Trying Times

Songs to Uplift During Trying Times

Pamela Garlick2023-03-06T21:58:39-05:002020/03/21 |

Peace and Love—And War No More
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Peace and Love—And War No More

Peace and Love—And War No More

Pamela Garlick2023-03-06T19:34:33-05:002020/02/29 |

Songs of Freedom: Inspirations on MLK Day 2020
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Songs of Freedom: Inspirations on MLK Day 2020

Songs of Freedom: Inspirations on MLK Day 2020

Pamela Garlick2023-03-30T12:18:59-04:002020/01/17 |

SONGLISTS

We hope you listen and enjoy on YouTube and Spotify.

Banner art credits

Banner illustrations courtesy of Wikipedia and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Get Out the Vote Initiative.

Songs of Protest banner: By Deeno Golding, (dec.), Associate Professor of Art & Design at Morehead State University and member, Cincinnati Chapter, AIGA. Artist statement: The poster communicates the importance of exercising one’s right / responsibility to vote in America.
MLK banner: Posterized photo via Wikimedia Commons. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Peace and Love banner: Retro hippie-style psychedelic landscape wallpaper background, dreamstime.comSongs to Uplift banner: Psychodelic wallpaper background, alphacoders.com
You Are Issued One Earth banner: Jungle Sunset by Henri Rousseau, 1909
Economic Injustice banner: Ford River Rouge factory workmen handle new engine blocks in a 1933 fresco mural by Diego Rivera at the Detroit Institute of Art
No Love Excepted banner: The Tree of Monkeys, Keith Haring, 1984
Injustices of Policing banner: Annette Lemieux, Black Mass, 1991

SONGS OF PROTEST

12 MONTHS OF MUSIC THAT MATTERS

At JusticeAid, we never underestimate the power of song.

12 Months of Music That Matters: Music to Vote By

12 Months of Music That Matters: Women’s Rights

Music That Matters: Injustices of Policing

12 Months of Music That Matters: No Love Excepted

12 Months of Music That Matters: Economic Injustice

12 Months of Music That Matters: You Are Only Issued One Earth

Songs to Uplift During Trying Times

Peace and Love—And War No More

Songs of Freedom: Inspirations on MLK Day 2020

SONGLISTS

Banner art credits

Banner illustrations courtesy of Wikipedia and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Get Out the Vote Initiative.

Songs of Protest banner: By Deeno Golding, (dec.), Associate Professor of Art & Design at Morehead State University and member, Cincinnati Chapter, AIGA. Artist statement: The poster communicates the importance of exercising one’s right / responsibility to vote in America.

MLK banner: Posterized photo via Wikimedia Commons. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Peace and Love banner: Retro hippie-style psychedelic landscape wallpaper background, dreamstime.comSongs to Uplift banner: Psychodelic wallpaper background, alphacoders.com

You Are Issued One Earth banner: Jungle Sunset by Henri Rousseau, 1909

Economic Injustice banner: Ford River Rouge factory workmen handle new engine blocks in a 1933 fresco mural by Diego Rivera at the Detroit Institute of Art

No Love Excepted banner: The Tree of Monkeys, Keith Haring, 1984

Injustices of Policing banner: Annette Lemieux, Black Mass, 1991