From "Yankee Doodle" to Kendrick Lamar, Watch How American Protest Music Evolved

Music has and always will be a form of self-expression. Especially in American politics, music is a way to get through political and social unrest. Having been around for centuries, protest music has successfully been able to get the people fired up when it comes to challenging the status quo. Usually taking one of two sides, protest songs fall into a movement for cultural or political change or focuses on the injustices facing marginalized groups. And with such a variety of songwriters that have graced our world, a slew of songs, from quiet and haunting to boisterous and biting have played as an anthem to unite the masses. Thanks to an in-depth video by Vox, we have a look at how protest music has evolved from Civil War refrains to viral Trump videos. Everything from “Yankee Doodle” to Kendrick Lamar gets broken down.