Many of us have our Girl’s Night Out playlists, our Halloween playlists, and of course, our Black Music for Activism playlists. But what about our voting playlists?
We polled LWV staff on which songs excited them to cast their ballots. Here’s what they said!
Songs for Celebrating People Power
These songs have us celebrating the people who power our elections: us!
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This Land is Your Land, Woody Guthrie
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Turn the World Around, Harry Belafonte
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People Have the Power, Patti Smith
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Immigrants (We Get the Job Done), K’NAAN, Snow Tha Product, Riz Ahmed, Residente
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Lift Every Voice and Sing, Melinda Doolittle
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Only The Young, Taylor Swift
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Run the World (Girls), Beyoncé
Songs for Staying in the Fight
These songs invigorate us to vote on the issues that impact our daily lives.
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Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom, Sweet Honey in the Rock
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19th Amendment, Dolly Parton
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Eyes on the Prize, Mavis Staples
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Higher Ground, Stevie Wonder
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The Times They Are A-Changin', Bob Dylan
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Mississippi Goddam, Nina Simone
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We Shall Overcome, Pete Seeger
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Move On Up, Curtis Mayfield
Songs for When You Get Your “I Voted” Sticker
These songs just make us happy to participate in the democratic process.
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Freedom, Jon Batiste
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My Shot, Hamilton
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Respect, Aretha Franklin
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Don’t Stop Me Now, Queen
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Party in the USA, Miley Cyrus
The Latest from the League
Throughout history, Black artists have captured the joy and sorrow of the Black experience through music. As a result, music has been at the center of efforts to raise awareness of and fight for issues important to Black people, like voting rights and social justice. Below are three mini-playlists featuring just a fraction of the music by Black artists that is rooted in activism, hopefulness, and Black joy.
When you vote for the President of the United States, you are not voting directly for a candidate. Instead, your vote — and the votes of everyone else in your state — directs the votes of the people who vote directly for President: presidential electors, otherwise known as members of the Electoral College.
This blog, and those that will follow, will explain how the Electoral College works, the history of the Electoral College — including its racist origins — and why it must be abolished.
If we want to create a more inclusive democracy that represents the diverse needs of its people, we must empower young voters.
Learn why young voters are so important and how you can support them!
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