Music once had the power to unify across racial and political divides

In the 20th century, protest songs and anthems shaped movements, creating a shared pulse people could rally around. But today, with streaming and fragmented listening habits, no singular song dominates the airwaves.

Instead of one unifying anthem, we have an evolving conversation across digital spaces.

Does this shift in how music spreads weaken its impact — or open new pathways for activism?

Music as cultural glue

For decades, music provided a shared pulse — a cultural bridge that unified people through struggle, hope, and activism. It was a bond, whether through marches, broadcasts, or communal playlists.

Songs shaped movements, reinforcing a collective experience that transcended divisions.

But somewhere along the way, that bridge fractured. The forces of fragmentation didn’t just reshape how we listen; they reshaped how we belong. Movements became decentralized, intersecting across different identities and causes.

Instead of singular voices leading the charge, music evolved into an ecosystem — an ever-shifting network of songs, artists, and communities contributing to different struggles.

The breaking point

Then came the breach — the widening ideological divide in America. Political movements stopped rallying around shared experience and instead harnessed spectacle, resentment, and exclusion. Music, once a force for connection, struggled to keep up.

That’s where MAGA found its grip.

The emotional landscape

A Substack writer who goes by the name Patrice Mersault (I see you Albert Camus) put it bluntly: MAGA was never built on policy. It was built on emotion — on the intoxicating highs of resentment, tribalism, and spectacle. The symbols weren’t statements of policy. They were shields against shame.

MAGA doesn’t need ideology — it thrives on identity, fueled by spectacle and grievance. Its rallies, imagery, and rhetoric don’t just express frustration — they manufacture belonging, turning resentment into community.

In response, music can counter resentment with shared catharsis — healing, expansive, and communal rather than reactive. Songs that turn struggle into solidarity create spaces for people to process frustration without deepening fear or outrage.

Music can also challenge shame through affirmation — giving marginalized voices the power to reclaim dignity through gospel, folk, hip-hop, or protest anthems. When people feel seen, the need for exclusionary identities weakens.

Most importantly, music can build a new spectacle — one of joy, justice, and movement rather than grievance. Hate feels intoxicating because it provides a sense of agency — but music can redirect that energy into something more expansive.

How music can mend

How do we create musical experiences that pull people into something larger than resentment?

This is what must happen next:

• Create new rituals – Music once thrived in marches, concerts, and protests. As activism moves online, engagement must feel real. Virtual collaborations, communal performances, and artist-led movements could be part of the answer.
• Restore a sense of narrative – Movements once rallied around albums and anthems that told shared stories. What’s stopping us from crafting those interconnected sonic landscapes now?
• Rethink participation – Instead of passively consuming music, people need to engage with it — through reinterpretations, collective songwriting, and interactive creative resistance.

I doubt any songwriter sets out to write an anthem that resonates across divides. But if you’re a musician, why not try?

The music is there.

The moment is here.

Who will step up to bring us together?

Songs that refuse to stay silent

See and hear our new curated collection of songs that fight back, lift up and never back down. From the 1930s to 2025, this is art activism.