It’s time to ‘Reclaim the Right to Rock’

Last weekend, there was a conference on campus that explored the roots and contributions of African-Americans to the rock ‘n’ roll scene.

Called “Reclaiming the Right to Rock: Black Experiences in Rock Music,” the conference examined the origins of rock music within African tribal traditions and how the genre has come to be dominated by white musicians.

To set the mood for the rest of the weekend, a documentary titled “Afro Punk” was screened on Friday night, followed by a question-and-answer session with the director, James Spooner.

The film highlighted not only black punk and hardcore musicians, but also non-band members who participated in the punk scene.

When being asked to name some black rock musicians, interviewees in the film all consistently responded with confounded looks and only two names: Chuck Berry and Little Richard. But black rockers didn’t spring up and then die out in the 1950s, nor did they all switch to newer genres that came about in later decades.

Just because the majority of musicians playing rock during the last several decades are white doesn’t change where the music came from. Rock music has always been black, and no matter how far it strays from its roots, it will always be black.

People still thank the Founding Fathers for setting up the government despite how much it has changed during the years, right? The comparison may be a tad crude, but it’s much the same with rock.

And this does not mean that only black people can create rock, as evidenced by, well, virtually all music produced in the last 40 years. The punk scene is a prime example.
The movement was started in the mid-1970s when bands like the Ramones began playing fast and loud music that preserved the anti-establishment tone of the 1960s while ditching the sentimentality that permeated other forms of rock at the time.

“Afro punk” kept a strong focus on how black musicians became connected to the punk and hardcore scene without feeling out-of-place. Those interviewed for the documentary stated that the genre allowed for them to express their viewpoints about life and society.

Their use of punk rock felt appropriate, as if the style were naturally
attuned to them.

Whether or not the music is actually ingrained in the souls of a people or the connection is conditioned, the do-it-yourself nature is a definite draw of punk rock.

It gives musicians who may not fit perfectly into the society around them the opportunity to create something for themselves. Punk rock has a strong history of protest, which is well suited to the black struggle against the oppression of the status quo.

African-Americans should not be afraid to venture into the punk scene.
Release of creative energy doesn’t have to be confined only to spitting rhymes and laying down funky basslines. The music is yours, so pick it up and use it. If you want to play something fast and loud, do it.

People will listen.