{"id":70512,"date":"2026-01-28T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T12:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=70512"},"modified":"2026-01-27T16:26:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T21:26:46","slug":"13-songs-by-women-artists-to-light-your-social-justice-fires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/13-songs-by-women-artists-to-light-your-social-justice-fires\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Protest Songs by Women Artists to Light Your Social Justice Fires"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-70513\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c.jpg 799w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c-90x60.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artists like Grammy winner H.E.R. (seen performing here) are using their voices, in all senses, to fight for what&#8217;s right. (Credit: The Come Up Show, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/thecomeupshow\/24535126218\">Flickr<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We live in troubled times, and fighting for <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/social-justice-sewing-academy-honors-ahmaud-arbery-george-floyd\/\">social justice<\/a> is more critical than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Much of the nation is currently focused on the <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/ice-violence-against-women-is-increasingly-visible-and-largely-untracked\/\">increasingly violent actions<\/a> of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who have taken several lives of civilians over the past several weeks. But the truth is, we now find ourselves facing numerous overwhelming catastrophes \u2013 beyond encroaching fascism, we are also bearing witness to wars, sickness, lethal inequities, climate change and loneliness of epidemic proportions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What does fighting all of that even look like? The mere prospect of trying can feel prohibitively daunting. But try we must \u2013 whatever form that may take in our individual lives. Maybe it\u2019s having difficult, uncomfortable conversations with misguided loved ones. Maybe it&#8217;s being a safe harbor for the littlest among us. Maybe it\u2019s grabbing a sign and heading to a protest. Maybe it\u2019s sharing resources with others, within your means. Maybe it\u2019s finding ways to weave your principles into your work, and your creations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;ve seen one particularly poignant example of this last possibility in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/taylr\/status\/2015943142273384648\">now-viral performance<\/a> by the Brass Solidarity Band at the site of ICE murder victim Alex Pretti&#8217;s memorial, in which they energized the protesting public by fusing Ben E. King&#8217;s classic &#8220;Stand By Me&#8221; with a familiar protest chant: &#8220;The people, united, will never be defeated!&#8221; The <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/book-more-women-performers-firefly-coachella\/\">women artists<\/a> below have embodied this spirit as well, by raising their voices \u2013 literally \u2013 against that which ails our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The songs featured on <a href=\"https:\/\/music.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLWOjgOdJbigV6n2rcR6FciozeVYiLIZ5U&amp;si=ju9icxsM068i0e57\">this playlist<\/a> push back against sexism, racism, authoritarianism and cultural erasure. They encourage us to recognize and honor one another\u2019s inherent humanity, no matter where we come from or how old we are.&nbsp;So, take a listen, and take heart \u2013 because as these tracks also remind us, there is so much strength in solidarity. Together, we can work to make things better.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_cfac80eee99c23c641c6989a1c129416\" class=\"wp-block related-post alignwide\">\n      <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"section-title\">\n      <h4>Related<\/h4>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"post-wrap\">\n              <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/alex-prettis-death-provokes-outrage-sadness-among-nursing-community\/\" class=\"post-image-link\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Alex-Pretti-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Alex Pretti&#039;s official portrait in 2024, as a registered nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (Credit: Wikimedia)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Alex-Pretti-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Alex-Pretti-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"entry-text\">\n          <h3 class=\"post-title\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/alex-prettis-death-provokes-outrage-sadness-among-nursing-community\/\">\n              Alex Pretti&#8217;s Death by ICE Provokes Outrage and Sadness Among Nursing Community\n            <\/a>\n          <\/h3>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div id=\"block_78866c19c4e032f6f78ada3a5a3f13a3\" class=\"wp-block listicle alignwide\">\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">1<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ella&#039;s Song - Resistance Revival Chorus\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aYmaOzaGI-Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cElla&#039;s Song\u201d \u2013 Resistance Revival Chorus<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe who believe in freedom cannot rest.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 This song was written by Sweet Honey in the Rock founder Bernice Johnson Reagon in honor of her mentor, prominent civil rights activist Ella Baker. Its refrain, a famous and powerful quote of Baker\u2019s, insists that fighting for justice is a commitment. (Also worth holding are the lyrics that implore us to care for people of color the way we care for white individuals \u2013 a powerful sentiment as we recall <em>all<\/em> of those who have been harmed and killed by ICE and other police forces.)<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">2<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mavis Staples - &quot;We Shall Not Be Moved&quot; (Live in Chicago)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UcDpmzQh3YU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cWe Shall Not Be Moved\u201d \u2013 Mavis Staples<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust like a tree that&#8217;s planted by the water, we shall not be moved.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 First crafted and shared by enslaved people, this song and its message on the immovability of those working for justice ultimately found renewed popularity during the Civil Rights movement. This version is performed by Mavis Staples, a gospel singer and activist who has long used her voice and platform to effect change.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">3<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Chicks - Not Ready To Make Nice (Official Video)\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pojL_35QlSI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cNot Ready to Make Nice\u201d \u2013 The Chicks<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI&#8217;m still mad as hell, and I don&#8217;t have time to go &#8217;round and &#8217;round and &#8217;round.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 In protest of President George W. Bush\u2019s invasion of Iraq, The Chicks said they were ashamed to hail from the same state as him. The backlash to their statement was long-lasting, and deadly. When they returned to performing, it was with this barn-burner \u2013 harnessing their lasting, justified anger and fear into a hit anthem.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">4<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"H.E.R. - I Can&#039;t Breathe (Audio)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IRZWiqBHYaY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cI Can\u2019t Breathe\u201d \u2013 H.E.R.<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI can&#8217;t breathe. Will anyone fight for me?\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Released in June 2020, this song was written as a direct response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, as well as the broader problems of police brutality and systemic racism in America. It went on to be named Song of the Year at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">5<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Brandi Carlile - The Joke (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5r6A2NexF88?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cThe Joke\u201d \u2013 Brandi Carlile<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLet &#8217;em laugh while they can. Let &#8217;em spin, let &#8217;em scatter in the wind. I have been to the movies, I&#8217;ve seen how it ends. And the joke&#8217;s on them.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Carlile wrote this song to speak to members of marginalized communities \u2013 those who feel \u201cunderrepresented, unloved or illegal,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Joke_(song)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she once said<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 as a way of encouraging them to both be and love themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">6<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"On Children\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kYAkcL36aCE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cOn Children\u201d \u2013 Sweet Honey on the Rock<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou can give them your love, but not your thoughts \u2013 they have their own thoughts.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 This setting of a poem by Kahlil Gibran is not necessarily a protest song. But its message flies in the face of established schools of parental thought. It reminds us that children are not continuations of individuals or legacies, but rather, their own beings \u2013 and should be respected as such, especially as we prepare them for a future none of us can truly predict anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">7<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Billie Holiday-Strange fruit- HD\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Web007rzSOI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cStrange Fruit\u201d \u2013 Billie Holiday<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHere is a strange and bitter crop.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 A haunting song, based off of a poem by Abel Meeropol, that evokes lynchings inflicted upon Black people throughout America\u2019s history (and on through current times) with its stunning, horrific imagery. The listener is forced to think about the deep pain brought to others because of racism. Holiday elevated its profile by performing it regularly, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Strange_Fruit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">despite fear<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of a backlash.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">8<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"We Rise (Original Mix)\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4nrfKnGBFhI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cWe Rise\u201d \u2013 Rhiannon Giddens<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHand in hand we stand as one. We push, we reach, we rise.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Folk musician Giddens wrote this piece \u2013 a bold, increasingly layered a cappella rallying cry \u2013 as a contribution to an album put forth by a group of activist musicians based in North Carolina. It stands on its own as a powerful gathering force, encouraging progress through coming together.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">9<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jayli Wolf - Child Of The Government (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/H5gqZV7OsCM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cChild Of The Government\u201d \u2013 Jayli Wolf<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMixed up the bloodline, lost to his people. Broken and cursed, wrapped him in evil.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Wolf wrote this piece about her father\u2019s experiences during the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sixties_Scoop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sixties Scoop<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 a decades-long practice in which Indigenous Canadian children were separated from their families by the government and forced into foster homes, to be adopted by white families.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">10<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pussy Riot - Police State  (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oaZl12Z5P7g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cPolice State\u201d \u2013 Pussy Riot<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo problems in paradise. We&#8217;ll lock them up.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Pussy Riot, a feminist performance art group based in Russia, has made an international name for itself by taking aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as pushing back against harmful institutions like sexism and homophobia. This song specifically cries out against encroaching governmental overreach.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">11<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f8cHxydDb7o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cU.N.I.T.Y.\u201d \u2013 Queen Latifah<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI bring wrath to those who disrespect me like a dame.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Queen Latifah released this song in 1993 \u2013 but it also could have come out today. It calls out our misogynistic culture for the ways in which women are ignored and demeaned, while spotlighting ongoing threats like domestic violence and street harassment as particular detriments to women\u2019s happiness and well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">12<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Joan Baez - We Shall Overcome (BBC Television Theatre, London - June 5, 1965)\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nM39QUiAsoM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>\u201cWe Shall Overcome\u201d \u2013 Joan Baez<\/h2>\n          <p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, deep in my heart I know that I do believe. We shall overcome, someday.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Another gospel song with significant ties to the Civil Rights movement, \u201cWe Shall Overcome\u201d has roots as a hymn, and as a workers\u2019 protest song in the 1940s. Baez\u2019s version performance during a 1963 protest at the Lincoln Memorial gave it new life.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 video\">\n            <div class=\"number\">13<\/div>\n            <div class=\"iframewrap\">\n              <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"If I Can Help Somebody (Album Version)\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mGzqKLzZXTE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n            <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>&quot;If I Can Help Somebody&quot; &#8211; Mahalia Jackson<\/h2>\n          <p><em>&#8220;If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.&#8221;<\/em> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 It&#8217;s difficult to consider these lyrics in this current political and social climate without feeling a swell of emotion. This song and its message, written by composer Alma Bazel Androzzo and performed famously by Jackson, get to the very center of what is needed of us now: Doing whatever we can, whenever we can, to get each other through even the worst of storms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This post, first published in January 2023, has been updated for 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_77dd10a24090c8f7dcdbf541f17a2f8f\" class=\"wp-block related-post alignwide\">\n      <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"section-title\">\n      <h4>Related<\/h4>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"post-wrap\">\n              <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-and-love-as-a-bold-and-intentional-thing\/\" class=\"post-image-link\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MLK-Trump-Inauguration-Progressive-Action-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"MLK Trump Inauguration Progressive Action\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MLK-Trump-Inauguration-Progressive-Action-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MLK-Trump-Inauguration-Progressive-Action-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MLK-Trump-Inauguration-Progressive-Action-84x84.jpg 84w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MLK-Trump-Inauguration-Progressive-Action-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"entry-text\">\n          <h3 class=\"post-title\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-and-love-as-a-bold-and-intentional-thing\/\">\n              Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Love as a Bold and Intentional Thing\n            <\/a>\n          <\/h3>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music can be a balm. But as these performers demonstrate, it can also provide the necessary spark for fighting back against injustice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":70513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":false,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187],"tags":[21260,20186,21261],"class_list":["post-70512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-music-and-activism","tag-social-justice","tag-solidarity"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Listen to a Social Justice Playlist with H.E.R., The Chicks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Music can be a balm. But as these performers demonstrate, it can also provide the necessary spark for fighting back against injustice.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/13-songs-by-women-artists-to-light-your-social-justice-fires\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"13 Protest Songs by Women Artists to Light Your Social Justice Fires\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Music can be a balm. But as these performers demonstrate, it can also provide the necessary spark for fighting back against injustice.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/13-songs-by-women-artists-to-light-your-social-justice-fires\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Story Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-28T12:15:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/24535126218_5391f17b5a_c.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"799\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Listen to a Social Justice Playlist with H.E.R., The Chicks","description":"Music can be a balm. 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