Social movements are often bolstered by anthems, songs that help unite people and remind them of what they are fighting for. In this episode, we take a look at one of the most famous anthems in US history. We ask what lessons it holds for the climate movement. And we investigate: does the climate movement already have an anthem? Reporter Kendra Pierre-Louis scours the charts to find what’s out there and brings the best (and worst) contenders to hosts Alex and Ayana. In the process, we talk to a climate ambassador who also happens to be a global rap superstar, Mr. Worldwide. Plus, Ayana drops a few bars.
Special thanks to our guests, Dr. Shana L. Redmond, Greg Camp, and Pitbull
Take Action
- If music is your thing, try your hand at making a climate anthem for your own climate organizing efforts.
- Not musical? Bookmark our Calls to Action archive and challenge yourself to do at least one action each month! Tell us, which action will you take first? Tag us / tweet us at @How2SaveAPlanet
Learn More
- Explore on Spotify the (almost) full list of climate songs that Kendra uncovered. You can find the list here, but some of the songs contain adult language. A clean version of the list can be found here.
- Read Dr. Redmond's book, Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora.
- Look at Kendra's earlier story on climate change and music
Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
This episode was produced by Kendra Pierre Louis. Our reporters and producers include Rachel Waldholz and Anna Ladd. Our intern is Ayo Oti. Our senior producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Emma munger and Peter Leonard. Our fact checker this week is Claudia Geib. Special thanks to Liz Fulton, Rachel Strom, Whitney Potter and Alyia Yates.
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