In The Death of Rhythm and Blues (cf. 3-8), Nelson George refers to the ongoing conflict between “assimilation” and “self-sufficiency” among African Americans. Similarly, in Women and Popular Music (cf. 65-69), Sheila Whiteley refers to the persistent dilemma between “integration” and “self-identity” among women in popular music. How did popular music artists of the 1960s and 70s deal with this tension between assimilation, integration, and equality on one hand and self-sufficiency, self-identity, and pride on the other?
The sources of the essay are two books and one documentary. 1. The Death of Rhythm and Blues (Nelson George). 2. Women and Popular Music : Sexuality, Identity, and Subjectivity. (Sheila Whiteley). 3. Documentary “Rock & Roll : Episode 5, 6, 7, 8.
You should write the essay about the topic with some examples of artists like Donna Summer, Betty Davis, Funkadelic, Madonna, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, etc.
