Voices of Hope: It's Been Said All Along

Inspired by Mississippi-inspired blues guitar, in 1950, Roebuck “Pops” Staples bought his first electric guitar, amp and the tremolo effect that would help define his sound.

No stranger to racism, Pops protected his family while they traveled on the road. Those experiences turned into hit songs like “Respect Yourself,” “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)” and “Why Am I Treated So Bad,” a favorite of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Prominent in the Civil Rights Movement, the Staple Singers performed at rallies, participated in marches and developed close relationships with civic leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Somebody has got to keep a message out there, that everything is gonna be all right. Don’t give up!” Mavis Staples once said. “I sing because I want to leave people feeling better than I found them. I want them to walk away with a positive message in their hearts..."

"... feeling stronger than they felt before. I’m singing to myself for those same reasons, too.” Both Pops and Mavis were inducted into the Rock Hall as members of the Staple Singers in 1999.

Jimi  Hendrix was inducted into the Rock Hall in 1992.  Hendrix played the final set at Woodstock. His performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” rebranded the national anthem for the counterculture.  

When asked by an interviewer a few days after Woodstock why his performance was somewhat “unorthodox,” Hendrix replied, “I’m an American, so I played it…I used to have to sing it in school…. It wasn’t unorthodox. I thought it was beautiful. But there you go.”

Inductee Jimmy Cliff's lyrics were written and performed for the 1972 film The Harder They Come. Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff has never resided in America and his was one of the many voices of hope that introduced and popularized the reggae sound.

This song did not chart in the U.S. or the U.K., despite being one of Cliff’s best-known and most influential songs.

Reggae icon Bob Marley popularized reggae while shining a light on injustice in his homeland of Jamaica and globally. He wore this Rasta hat in the promotional video for “Is This Love.” 

The video was filmed in London at the Keskidee Centre, Britain’s first cultural center for the Black community.  “Is This Love” reached Number Nine on the UK Singles chart.

1987 Inductee Marvin Gaye ended this live performance at the Oakland Coliseum with the socially aware song “What’s Going On.” The song almost did not see the light of day, as Motown’s founder Berry Gordy was not fond of his label releasing a song with an explicit message of activism.

Gaye felt differently; America was in turmoil due to the Vietnam War, and Gaye was touched by his brother’s vivid experiences serving in the military during the conflict. The song would reach critical acclaim, and its plaintive lyrics are still as relevant as ever. 

Jidenna wore this suit during the Alan Ferguson-directed music video for “Classic Man” and subsequent performances until 2017. Jidenna’s “Classic Man” is an anthemic reflection of how music and art are connected to societal changes.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Jidenna said, "The scene that you see with the youth being arrested by the police officers, that's straight out of the book of my own life. We were very intentional about showing how you can co-operate with police officers and the youth."

"There's definitely a lot of scrutiny surrounding the militarized police that we have in the U.S. right now. I don't want a world where the citizens and the police are fighting each other. I wanted to show a world where youth don't get shot when police run up on them.”

Bassist Miles Mosley was raised by a Black father and Jewish mother of Russian descent; the Mosley family experienced intense racism due to their union and moved to Oakland in hopes of a better life. 

This song reflects not only Mosley’s experience but explores the traumas involved with dual identity and hope that moves one to action. “The messages of the past have gotten us to a place of action, we are built to survive, survival is not static— we have the will to live.”