Proponents of progressive political change lost two vital contributors this past month. Amiri Baraka and Pete Seeger shared an important understanding – that music is central to the creation, deepening, and extension of social movements. “Music is a method,” writes Shana Redmond in her new book, Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora. “Beyond its pleasures,” she continues, “music allows us to do and imagine things that may otherwise be unimaginable or seem impossible.” Amiri Baraka and Pete Seeger not only understood this, but they devised effective ways to communicate this understanding to broad audiences. The best way we can honor their memories is to sing the old songs, and make new songs, sing together.

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