1960s Harlem is the 'cultural capital of Black America,' but the community faces problems and rising tensions. All over the country, civil rights protests are proliferating and as the decade unfolds, music gives voice to a community fighting for justice.
A musical, political and spiritual revolution gains momentum across Black America, inspiring Jazz greats John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus and Max Roach to express their activism through their instruments, and Abbey Lincoln to vocalize her pain in song.
The rich diversity of the Harlem population shapes new forms of music that draw on different sounds and styles heard around the neighborhood, like R&B, jazz, soul, mambo, blues, and 'boogaloo,' all of which reflect the common goal of racial justice.
New voices like The Black Panthers offer a message to Black America: reform is not enough; it's time for revolution. The call for Black Power sparks a cultural shift not just in Harlem, but around the world, as Black music infiltrates the mainstream.
