Black Women Matter: The #BlackLivesMatter Movement, Black Female Singers, and Intersectional Feminism

Abstract

In view of the 2016 release of a number of musical endeavors that centre black womanhood, the present contribution studies the way in which contemporary black female music and US black protest culture (namely, the #BlackLivesMatter) intersect each other and are mutually empowering. Positing that such strong connection has history, the article focuses on the major names of Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, and Beyoncé, who, since the Civil Rights Era, have forged a legacy in terms of raising consciousness around black feminism, which resonates tremendously in popular culture.