What follows is a small sample of albums and artists of historical or contemporary relevance to issues of racial equity and social justice. From the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter movement of today, this discography merely represents a starting point for exploring issues of race within popular music genres from the 1960s through today.
1960s
The Essential Mahalia Jackson—Mahalia Jackson
Sam Cooke’s SAR Records Story 1959-1965—Sam Cooke
A Love Supreme—John Coltrane
Stand!—Sly & The Family Stone
The Essential Nina Simone—Nina Simone
This Is Madness—Last Poets
Various Artists Compilations:
Voices of the Civil Rights Movement
Change Is Gonna Come: Voice Of Black America
Say It Loud! Black Music in America
1970s
What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye
Rappin’ Black in a White World—Watts Prophets
The Best of Gil Scott-Heron—Gil Scott-Heron
Back to the World—Curtis Mayfield
Chocolate City—Parliament
Young, Gifted and Black—Aretha Franklin
1980s
Hits—Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
Straight Outta Compton—N.W.A.
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back—Public Enemy
By All Means Necessary—Boogie Down Productions
All Hail The Queen—Queen Latifah
1990s
To the East, Backwards—X Clan
Ready To Die—Notorious B.I.G.
3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of—Arrested Development
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill—Lauryn Hill
The Low End Theory—Tribe Called Quest
Nu Nation Project—Kirk Franklin
Soul Food—Goodie Mob
2000s
Be—Common
Illmatic-Nas
Game Theory—The Roots
The Beautiful Struggle—Talib Kweli
New Amerykah Part One—Erykah Badu
2010s
To Pimp A Butterfly—Kendrick Lamar
The Electric Lady—Janelle Monae
The Love and War MasterPeace—Raheem DeVaughn
Black Messiah—D’Angelo
Lemonade--Beyonce