Here’s how it all started… in a Summer LIT261 (Modern Literature) class, while writing a contextual analysis of Postmodern Era literature in any medium, for a class discussion I chose the following…
For the Postmodern Era, I took an unexpected look at the three Vietnam Protest artists who were listed - Barry McGuire, an American Singer - Songwriter who was the first to record a song written by P.F. Sloan called “Eve of Destruction”. I had never before heard of Barry McGuire or “Eve of Destruction”. Next was another Artist and song that I was totally unfamiliar with, Country Joe & The Fish and a song he wrote and sang called “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag”. And lastly, was the well known and familiar band Creedence Clearwater Revival and their song “Fortunate Son”. CCR and Country Joe McDonald both performed at Woodstock; but CCR’s Vietnam protest song “Fortunate Son” was not yet released at the time of their Woodstock performance.
What stood out to me was that here was a bunch of White guys, six all total (seven if you count P.F. Sloan) whose music (with the exception of CCR), had not ventured outside of White America. Perhaps Country Joe McDonald would later become known to the few non-White attendees at Woodstock after his performance in 1969. To the list of literature I would have included the (unplanned) opening act -
Richie Havens - Freedom at Woodstock 1969 (HD), along with the dynamic intertextual close of Jimi Hendrix - The Star Spangled Banner [ National Anthem ] ( Live at Woodstock 1969 )
Additionally, (among others!) I would have been inclined to include War - Edwin Starr 1969. The song was originally recorded by The Temptations, but Edwin Starr's version gained wider popularity. Edwin Starr’s version of the song "War" reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970. It held the top position for three weeks in August and September. It became his signature song and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Stevie Wonder’s “Front Line” Front Line-which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. Robert Palmer of the New York Times described “Front Line” as a starkly economical, eloquently anguished portrait of a Vietnam veteran's bitterness and dead-end fatalism, and an exciting mixture of guitar rock in a Cream/Hendrix vein with springy funk.
And since I have already exceeded the word count, I will add in Marvin Gaye…
"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye:
This song, released in 1971, is a poignant reflection on the Vietnam War and the social unrest of the time, exploring themes of poverty, injustice, and the need for peace
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Jan 21, 1971, along with Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
The next… and larger assignment was to write a Contextual Analysis essay (in any format) on any of the 20 writers and their work, (plus the four aforementioned protest authors lumped together as one), from whom we had the option to read (or listen) to their work. The goal of this project was for us students to pause on 1-2 of the literary texts that captured our attention and think about them in more detail. Ultimately, to perform a contextual analysis of these texts, analyzing them in relationship to the contexts in which they were produced and received.
Previously, I had written a discussion post centered on Nina Simone’s song “Mississippi Goddamn”, a song that I have known and loved for decades, never realizing its true impetus and deep and crucial underlying message. My intent had been to revisit The High Priestess of Soul when it came time to do the extended Content Analysis essay. Yet, after reviewing the work of the three (actually 4!), singer - songwriters that we were availed to, and even after my suggested add ons, I still felt that so much was being left out of the conversation, that I decided to continue from where I left off in addressing the songs and their messages that were written by primarily Black artists to both critique and illuminate the realities and atrocities that were present (and persisting) in Black America.
My original plan for my essay was going to be somewhat of an extension of my original discussion with a plethoric addition of protest songs featuring Black artists primarily. And so I began my internet search. I had not yet formulated a thesis statement, I just simply began by searching for protest music of the 60’s and 70’s. I knew that I wanted to highlight songs from Stevie Wonder’s opus -" Songs in the Key of Life". I was confident that once I had gathered all of my research material, a thesis statement would come. My professor had suggested that between drafting, revising and editing, between 8.5 to 9 hours total should be dedicated to this essay assignment. Literally, they wrote “Read broadly on a topic or element that interests you, and with the intent to narrow your focus later on. (4 hours)”
By the end of day 3 of reading broadly, I felt I was close to finding what I was looking for! I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I was diligent in my search to find it. It was now after 11pm at night, along with searching I was texting with a teammate of mine discussing each - pool, textuality and framing! I remember at some point, I said “I think I have it.” My friend said goodnight and I responded that I was gonna dip at midnight. I was just about to finally end my research so that I could formulate my thesis and begin writing in the morning. And then I decided to click on just one more thing. I don’t remember what that link took me to, I do remember looking at it quizzically and then I decided to click on one more thing…
I don’t even recall the site or page that I landed on - but I remember being both fazed and startled at the same time! I don’t recall whether I said it aloud or just thought to myself “What am I looking at? Can this be true?”
And it was true! During the Summer of 1969, the same year as the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, a strikingly similar event, The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival took place. The Harlem Cultural Festival was just 100 miles away from Woodstock, being held at Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) in Harlem. The festivals were virtually identical in design - both were music festivals featuring many well known contemporary artists and musicians, both had widespread attendance, and they were both held during the Summer of 1969. Woodstock was held Aug. 15-18. The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival took place over six Sundays, from June 29 to August 24. Admission was free for the Harlem Festival and over 300,000 people attended. Both events were entirely recorded on film.
The Harlem Cultural Festival was opened by a young,19 yr old Stevie Wonder. Additional performances included Mahalia Jackson, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, B.B. King, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, David Ruffin, Hugh Masekela, Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto and Sly and the Family Stone. Closing the event was the phenomenal Nina Simone - who debuted her song “Young, Gifted and Black”.
Yet, try to find someone who has ever heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival. Try to find someone who has NOT heard of Woodstock - the event that is so iconic (that even though the event had two different lengthy titles) it goes by just one recognizable name - Woodstock!
(Now here’s where this paper would normally end (word count wise), but since the first 837 words of this paper are essentially a recap, I will continue.)
Woodstock would become famous and is widely regarded as one of the most iconic events in music history. Musical careers would be launched…
The Harlem Cultural Festival was never again mentioned. It wouldn’t even be a blip on the screen.
There can be no justifiable argument that Black erasure does not exist, as Black history is currently physically being removed from this country's historic museums and archives, our libraries and schools, and even being forbidden by our government to be taught in our higher learning institutions. Black erasure, the systemic (and previously) often subtle ways in which Black history, culture, and contributions are marginalized, overlooked or actively suppressed has been a part of our existence as Black people in a land that is not ours since our first involuntary landing on this continent.
Often in the past, Black erasure has manifested as the omission of Black stories from historical narratives. But I never could have previously imagined that an omission of this magnitude could have taken place during the 20th century, especially with the presence of recorded documentation. And as I write this, many of us stand and sit in disbelief of the atrocities occurring daily in our “own” country right before our very eyes.
The repeated and deliberate erasure of Black America, Native American culture, Hispanic culture, Asian-American culture is resulting in an incomplete and distorted understanding of American history. This systemic erasure/racism perpetuates existing power dynamics and contributes to the marginalization of Black communities and impedes the progression of equality for all non-White persons in the U.S.
In my future essay, The Actual Paper (...or, All U.S. History Is Written by White People) Part 2, I intend to address how the marginalization of Black artistic expression and reinforced existing power structures, (exemplified in the actively suppressed Harlem Cultural Festival) continue to contribute to the historical invisibility and the economic devaluation of Black cultural contributions.
Postmodern Era Contextual Analysis Project - Module 5
LIT261 Dr Elliot Mead, PhD
The Actual Paper (...or, All U.S. History Is Written by White People) Part 1
Researched and Written by Jaymes M. Grace
Summer - 07/14/2025
