Society & Culture

The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy

by Dr. Reiland Rabaka

FilosofíaSociedad y culturaEducación

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Latest episodes

Dub: The Golden Age of Dub Reggae, 1973-1983

October 15, 2026 · 59 min

"Dub's heavy use of reverb [serves] as a sonic metaphor for the condition of diaspora." —Michael Veal, Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae "Dub: The Golden Age of Dub Reggae, 1973–1983" enters the studio at the moment…
Reggae: The Golden Age of a Spiritual Revolution and Musical Rebellion, 1970-1980

October 1, 2026 · 58 min

In "Reggae: The Golden Age of a Spiritual Revolution and Musical Rebellion, 1970–1980," Dr. Reiland Rabaka enters the decade when Jamaica transformed bass, drum, scripture, street knowledge, and Rastafari consciousness into a global…
The Freedom Songs of the Civil Rights Movement

September 17, 2026 · 59 min

What happens when a movement for freedom finds its voice—and a people turn song into courage? In this episode of The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy, Dr. Reiland Rabaka explores the freedom songs of the Civil Rights…
The Civil Rights Movement

September 3, 2026 · 60 min

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." — Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," 1963" What happens when a nation declares freedom but keeps a Colored Section waiting inside democracy? In this…
The Music of the African Diaspora: Reggae, Salsa, Samba, Calypso & Soca, and Cumbia

August 18, 2026 · 54 min

What happens when memory learns to move through rhythm? In this episode of The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy, Dr. Reiland Rabaka journeys across Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, New York, Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, and…

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Ep 40: African Diaspora: Beyond Borders, Beyond Boundaries

August 6, 2026 · 56 min

"History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history." — James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro The African Diaspora is not simply the history of Africans dispersed across the globe. It is the story…
Ep 39: The Blues: Musical Memories, Oral Histories, and Cultural Archives

July 16, 2026 · 60 min

The blues is not simply a music of sadness, heartbreak, or loss. Those themes are present, but they do not define the tradition. The blues is one of history's most eloquent narrators, philosophy carried in song, theology expressed through…
Ep 38: The Spirituals: The Black Sacred Song Tradition

July 2, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

"The Black folk song, the rhythmic cry of the slave, stands today not simply as the sole American music, but as the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side the seas." - W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk What…
Ep 37: Juneteenth: Freedom Deferred, Freedom Declared, Freedom Demanded

June 18, 2026 · 54 min

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." — Frederick Douglass Juneteenth is not merely a holiday. It is not merely a date on a calendar, a festival, a parade, or a cookout. Juneteenth is a historical mirror. It asks us to look…
Ep 36: Love is Love: LGBTQIA+ Liberation Movements and the Long Road to Democracy

June 4, 2026 · 56 min

Love is love is not sentiment alone. It is a declaration, a demand, a democracy still unfinished. In this episode, Dr. Reiland Rabaka traces the long and defiant arc of LGBTQIA+ liberation movements in America, from the hidden corners of…
Ep 35: "Black Is Beautiful!": The Black Aesthetic and The Black Arts Movement, 1965-1975

May 21, 2026 · 45 min

Black is beautiful is not a slogan alone, but a summons, a call to consciousness, a chorus of reclamation rising from a people long told to doubt their own reflection. In this episode, Dr. Reiland Rabaka explores the Black Arts Movement…
Ep 34: The Harlem Renaissance: Early 20th Century Afro-Modernism

May 5, 2026 · 59 min

The Harlem Renaissance was not merely a moment. It was a movement, a meditation, a declaration that Black life, Black art, Black thought, and Black being would no longer be bound by the narrow scripts of a nation unsure of its own…

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About the show

In collaboration with the Center for African and African American Studies/The CAAAS at the University of Colorado Boulder, The Cause is more than a podcast, it's a call to action. Guided by Dr. Reiland Rabaka, this inspiring series invites you to explore the transformative power of music, the wisdom of history, and the promise of democracy in the pursuit of racial justice. Through courageous conversations, insightful reflections, and powerful storytelling, The Cause amplifies voices and stories too often unheard. Together, we'll challenge injustices, break down societal misconceptions, and inspire each other to build a world where equality is not just an ideal, but a shared reality. Join us in this movement. Listen to The Cause, and become part of the collective journey to create a more just, inclusive, and vibrant future for all.