“Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” … this 1968 track from the inimitable James Brown acted as a declaration of a universal truth: self-empowerment is fundamental to the struggle against oppression.

When the Godfather of Soul cries “Say it loud,” he is acting as a common voice for repressed communities. From generation to generation, music has been a way of reaffirming identity … “I’m black and I’m proud” comes the response from a group of Los Angeles children.

Recent events in America are nothing new, but they have forced people from all backgrounds to confront what the black community has always known: racism is alive and well. Here at Qwest TV we are deeply passionate about art that stems from black culture – from jazz to funk, soul, blues, hip-hop, R&B ... and it is vital to be aware of the origins of this music, not least because the struggles it grew from still affect us today.

This selection highlights artists who have created soundscapes for resilience in the face of violence and oppression. The resistance music of South Africa is represented through Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela, the trumpeter and singer-songwriter who formed a power couple in opposition to apartheid in the 1960s. Modern South African groups like BCUC continue their championing of marginalized black cultures with their 11-language Afro-trance blend.

The documentary Call and Response provides a fascinating deep dive into the history of New Orleans, the cradle of modern music that gave birth to jazz through a mix of West African, Creole, Caribbean and many more cultural sounds. Today, artists like Christian Scott carry forward those great Congo Square traditions by mixing black American music with seemingly disparate cultural sounds – from Indian ragas to the rhythms of French Guiana – thereby showing that harmony can and does exist, even when stretched between cultures and across borders.

Elsewhere, Seun Kuti sustains the heritage of his father’s Afrobeat with the Egypt 80 group, adapting Fela’s enduring message of pride and resistance to a modern setting where injustice remains under a different guise. Indeed, resistance music is subject to evolution over time, a fact clearly demonstrated through the documentary The Last Poets, which charts artists from the 50s and 60s Civil Rights movement and beyond as they altered their message, bridging the gaps between spoken word, jazz, funk, and ultimately rap.

Each era and each generational struggle brings forward new artists who demand that their voices be heard. These are the men and women who connect communities to their roots by tapping into shared cultural lineage. Duke Ellington, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Saul Williams, Leyla McCalla, Richie Havens, James Brown, Aretha Franklin – while they differ in style they are connected by unapologetic self-empowerment despite the enduring shadow of a racist society.