ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How have black artists throughout the 20th century used music to speak about racial injustice in America?

OVERVIEW
(Note: this lesson contains racial slurs and violence. Teacher discretion advised.)

“We gon’ be alright! We gon’ be alright!” This phrase became a common refrain at demonstrations following the murders of teenager Michael Brown, 12-year old Tamir Rice, and father Eric Garner, whose last words, “I can’t breathe,” became a rallying cry in protests against police brutality.

Many journalists and writers noted that chanting these lines collectively was reminiscent of “We Shall Overcome,” the unofficial song of the Civil Rights Movement. But unlike the origins of “We Shall Overcome,” the chant “we gon’ be alright” wasn’t based on a gospel song – rather, it came from the 2015 hit “Alright” by Grammy award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.