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The Art of Protest: Culture and Activism from the Civil Rights Movement to the Streets of Seattle, by T.V. Reed. Minneapolis, MN: The University of Minnesota Press, 2005. 362 pp. $25.00 paper. ISBN: 0816637717.
T.V. Reed's new book focuses on culture and its interaction with a number of social movements. Along the way, he points out how movements form and use culture within the movement, how preexisting culture influences the movement, how social movement culture can affect the larger culture, and sometimes the relationship between culture and political, economic, and social realms. He provides discussions around each of these processes to point out theoretical debates and practical considerations. The uses of song and art as a means to communicate are key to his analysis. Reed notes that song and art are often deemed nonthreatening, so the public can be more accepting of protests coming in these forms. Song and art can also be straightforward and inexpensive, making them more accessible to the poor and working class. The emotional impact of song and art on movement participants and others is also stressed throughout. For instance, Reed outlines how songs of the civil rights movement helped tie the traditional to the radical, via spiritual melodies and updated lyrics, and gave people power in the moment...