Transgressive Leadership and Theo-ethical Texts of Black Protest Music

Limited academic publications analysing the theologies and ethics of historic Black Freedom Struggles have resulted in minimal inclusion in broader theological and ethical canons. In this article I explore the role of music in Black Freedom Struggles, especially the historic Civil Rights Movement, to argue that such music was a transgressive tool that expanded leadership positions and produced new theo-ethical and socio-political texts. These organic oral texts were published through alternative methods, expanding activists’ theological and ethical beliefs about the social and political struggles in which they participated. Finally, I suggest that protest music in the contemporary Movement for Black Lives offers a view into the lived realities and commitments of participants as they continue the tradition of using music as a theo-ethical and socio-political tool.