NYU Press Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora

“An extraordinary, innovative, and generative book.” – George Lipsitz, author of How Racism Takes Place Review Anthemis an impressively rich analysis of the songs that gave rise to and developed out of the fraught history of diasporic political movements. Redmond's blend of musicology, political history, and social engagements establishes the anthem as a densely layered text, one that invites close reading but whose ultimate meaning can only be understood in the context of its reconstructed sociopolitical moment.-- "MELUS" Anthemis truly atour de force.Deeply-researched, brilliantly conceived, and beautifully written, the book reveals how & anthems register both a collective sense of history and a vision of the future for aggrieved groupsnot just people of African-descent.Anthemwill stand asthemodel for transnational scholarship for years to come.--Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Africa Speaks, America Answers: Modern Jazz in Revolutionary Times Anthemsucceeds in foregrounding the significance of music as an oral tradition, and its ability to move people who may not be literate in the written word. Redmond ably traces musics elemental power to move humans, and how it connects people to ideas, movements, and other activists. In general, the book succeeds admirably in making readers think about these songs in new ways.-- "American Historical Review" In this important book, Redmond illuminates the ways that songs function as 'political acts of performance' . . . . Listen to the music as you read to appreciate even further this deeply intelligent, innovative, richly interdisciplinary, and thought-provoking book.-- "The Journal of American History" Music as a form of expression in the Black community is not a new phenomenon. However, Redmond offers new interpretations of this old paradigm. She depicts music as a diasporic weapon of resistance, ambitiously expanding the boundaries of Black politics by carefully towing the line between sonic manifestos, social movements, and solidarity. The author judiciously wades through literature from myriad disciplines, exposing inconsistent arguments and confronting the intersection of social movements and solidarity, while positioning music both as a repository for collective memory and mobilizing agent throughout the diaspora. Her work deftly illuminates the role of the communitive and communicative aspects of the performer and the performance.... Redmond's study is innovative and groundbreaking. She expands the boundaries of interdisciplinary studies by intersecting ethnomusicology, America political development, and Black politics. Each song travails to tap into the spirit of resistance and unity, while functioning as a balm to the wounds of domination and oppression. She clearly illustrates that music functions as a refuge, allowing performers and listeners to safely wade through "translocal" forms of state sanctioned oppression as she demonstrates and demarcates a continuum of Black music as a form of resistance.--National Political Science Review Offers a model to future scholars who wish to blend the intricacies of musical analysis with other source bases or methodologies.-- "American Quarterly" About the Author Shana L. Redmond is Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. She is a former musician and labor organizer.