Here are a few links to articles showing Black artists who have spoken out during inequality and unjust topics:

Editor, W. W. (2023, February 22). Black artists protested Vietnam War through songs. The Washington Informer. https://www.washingtoninformer.com/black-artists-protested-vietnam-war-through-songs/

Black Artists Protested Vietnam War Through Songs

Although these are not musicians, I thought it was still cool and valuable to mention other artists:

Phillips, R. (n.d.). Famous black artists who confronted racism and inequality. Retrieved August 9, 2025, from https://renee-phillips.com/famous-black-artists-who-confronted-racism-and-inequality/

Famous Black Artists Who Have Confronted Racism and Inequality

Reinke, K. (2023, November 16). 14 black artists who changed art history. Barnebys. https://www.barnebys.com/blog/14-black-artists-who-changed-art-history

https://www.barnebys.com/blog/14-black-artists-who-changed-art-history

Woodstock 1969, Jimi Hendrix

“Star Spangled Banner”

Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of the National Anthem is something I want to talk about. Everything I’ve heard about Woodstock sounds so wild, and I can’t imagine being there to experience it. His rendition was pretty unsettling. Adding war sounds was a really creative way to protest while playing during the Vietnam War, and it’s very sad how it still is relevant today. His ability to portray these sounds on his electric guitar is unbelievably impressive, and I am not sure if I would have comprehended the actual intended message behind it if I had been shown this when I was younger. The distortion feels like a message that the U.S. was declining.  

I think what makes it so important is the possibility of criticism for doing something controversial. He keeps the anthem clear enough throughout the chaotic sounds, just to bring it right back to show the real emphasis of how people continue and live on during horrific times. This relates to phenomenology by looking at how individuals perceive their soul and self in relation to the world around them. This was an insane show, and he completely immerses himself in the music. Hendrix’s performance is existential because it involves the harsh realities of human existence, like war and injustice. He expressed this through a personal choice that was up for interpretation. And instead of playing the anthem in a traditional or expected way, he breaks it apart and reshapes it to reflect the truth, which is authentic in a chaotic world.

This performance goes against the mainstream and expected. It is not about pleasing people, it is about the truth and how many people are blind to the atrocities happening around them. Buddhist thought teaches that letting go of attachments and freeing ourselves from the ego can help us overcome suffering and reach enlightenment. Like I mentioned, he doesn’t stick to the traditional version of the anthem. He changes it and turns it into something honest. This involves the Buddhist idea of letting go of attachments, especially national identity, ego, and the illusion of control.