They couldn’t stop the beat because the beat was the Movement. During the modern Civil Rights and Black Power eras, music wasn’t just a soundtrack. It was a strategy. Songs like “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” carried messages for which protest signs didn’t have room. Our permanent exhibition What Do We Want? Black Power! highlights how artists used rhythm, lyrics, and soul to resist oppression, unify communities, and fuel action. In times of unrest, music reminds us who we are and what we’re fighting for. Today’s artists, from Kendrick Lamar to Janelle Monáe, are continuing the legacy by using music as a tool for truth-telling and transformation. This Black Music Month, visit the museum and experience how movement music shaped the struggle for freedom and how it’s still shaping the future. #BlackMusicMonth #MovementMusic #CivilRightsSoundtrack #NationalCivilRightsMuseum #BlackPower #WhatDoWeWant