NYA view by Phil Baker
In a newly published essay on May 19 for Rolling Stone, former President Barack Obama examines the role that music plays in shaping American history and social progress.
Obama opens the piece with a personal anecdote from his 2008 presidential campaign, revealing that his pre-debate ritual evolved from listening to jazz classics by Miles Davis and John Coltrane and rap tracks by Jay-Z and Eminem. He explains that hip-hop helped ground him, stripping away the artificiality of the campaign trail and connecting him to the values, family, and citizens he hoped to represent.
The core argument of the essay is that American history over the past 250 years is best understood through its music, which has consistently driven social change ahead of the political system.
Obama traces this across several historical eras:
Slavery & Suffrage: He highlights how African American spirituals acted as a vital assertion of humanity under slavery, and how the women’s suffrage movement adapted familiar tunes like “Yankee Doodle” to easily spread protest lyrics during marches.
The Depression & Civil Rights: The essay notes how Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” championed marginalized laborers, and frames the Civil Rights Movement as a “singing movement” unified by gospel and freedom songs that fortified activists against violence.
The 60s, 70s, & Hip-Hop: Obama details how Vietnam-era protest music asked necessary questions, while counter-perspectives like Merle Haggard’s reminded the nation of its working-class complexity. He later defines early hip-hop from the Bronx as essential “journalism set to a beat” that demanded dignity and eventually transformed global pop culture.
Obama attributes the power of American music to its diverse, multi-cultural roots, which blend African rhythms, Irish folk, and classical melodies. Because art does not require a political majority or a 10-point plan, he argues it can speak truth and expand the public’s moral imagination long before governments catch up—pointing out that rock & roll encouraged integration before the Civil Rights Act passed.
Concluding the essay, Obama notes that the upcoming Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will feature a recording studio and performance space to foster future creative voices. He frames American song as an ongoing act of faith in democracy and self-government.
The original article can be found here [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/barack-obama-on-american-music-1235560707/]