Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
Experience the groundbreaking sounds of bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach, whose far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him.
How Max Roach created the experimental sound of M'Boom
Max Roach founded M'Boom, a jazz group made up of experimental percussionists. M'Boom was his way of venturing into a more abstract, adventurous sound—including a song that recreated the sounds of a storm through music. "Max was one of the people redefining what the music is gonna be in every decade that he was active," said musician Greg Tate.
Rare footage of Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln's collaboration
In this excerpt from Black Journal originally released on April 27, 1970, drummer Max Roach and singer Abbey Lincoln perform at Norfolk State College in Virginia and share their thoughts on their roles as musicians. The husband and wife duo found it important to emphasize their African American heritage and musical influences.
Cesar Chavez's love of jazz and pachuco culture
Labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez expressed an interest in music from an early age. He grew up identifying as a pachuco, a young Mexican-American who wore zoot suits and listened to jazz, blues and swing music.
"A lot of people have no idea that the leader of the Farm Workers Union was this guy that had this urban soul inside him," said filmmaker Luis Valdez.
How the farmworkers’ movement used concerts to fundraise
Music promoter Jim Cassell organized concerts as fundraisers for the farmworkers’ movement with the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Garcia, Cheech and Chong, Crosby and Nash, Taj Mahal, Malo, Tower of Power and others.
“It was an era when the United Farm Workers Union movement was so supported by everybody, so the bands would perform basically for free," said Cassell.
A Song for Cesar
Trace the life and legacy of labor activist Cesar Chavez. Through interviews with Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and more, see how music and the arts were instrumental to the success of the farmworkers’ movement Chavez helped found.
The music of America’s farmworkers
When musician and composer Daniel Valdez first read the poem "Brown-Eyed Children of the Sun," he was reminded of his parents, who were migrant farmers from Mexico. He was inspired to create a bolero, typically a romantic ballad, dedicated to farmworkers and their families.
Peaceful protest with Joan Baez
Members of the farmworkers’ movement were committed to nonviolence amidst danger on the picket lines. Singer-songwriter Joan Baez was one of those peaceful protesters.
"I've always been the happiest when I was doing activism and music at the same time,” said Baez. “So that was an obvious place for me to be, with Cesar."
Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely
Follow the 50-year career of preeminent First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams. See how his landmark cases—from the Pentagon Papers to Citizens United to Clearview AI—helped define free speech as it is known today. Join Dan Abrams, Ari Melber, Nina Totenberg and more as they explore how Abrams' career has shaped major changes in law, public discourse and civic action since the 1960s.
The case that protected corporate spending in elections
During the 2008 presidential elections, Citizens United, a conservative non-profit organization, wanted to air a film criticizing then-democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Although Abrams disagreed with the politics of the film, he argued that Citizens United were within their rights to air the film, declaring that the First Amendment protects independent spending by corporations in elections.
When The New York Times published the Pentagon Papers
The New York Times sought the legal counsel of First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams after publishing the Pentagon Papers. The media organization was accused of being disloyal to the country, but Abrams successfully argued that The Times were within their First Amendment rights. The case later became known as a landmark case for protecting press freedom.
The history of the First Amendment
Did you know that the Supreme Court didn't begin interpreting the First Amendment as law until 1919? "We were making up, in a sense, First Amendment law as we went along," said lawyer Floyd Abrams. Free speech as we know it today was established through national security cases and gains made during the civil rights movement.
Dan Abrams on defending his father's work on Citizens United
In this outtake from "Floyd Abrams: Speaking Freely," ABC News Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Dan Abrams discusses how he admires his father for working on cases he may not necessarily agree with, including Citizens United.
The moment Jerry Brown found politics
While studying for the bar exam at the Governor's Mansion, Jerry Brown overheard his father talking politics. "There was a vitality and intensity, maybe like watching an exciting movie," recalls Brown. "But it wasn't a movie; it was a reality that was imaginable for me to be a part of."
Jerry Brown's second shot at governor
28 years after his first term, Jerry Brown runs for governor a second time and becomes the oldest sitting governor in California's history. "One of the things that made him so effective in his second tour as governor was that he remained what he'd always been, the un-politician's politician," said journalist and author Todd Purdum.
How Watergate changed the political landscape
Post-Watergate and amidst Americans' growing skepticism of the government, journalist Todd Purdum floated the idea of Jerry Brown running for governor.
Jerry Brown: The Disrupter
Experience the political and personal journey of Jerry Brown, the longest serving governor in California history. First elected at 36 years old and again at 72, explore Brown’s 50-year career tackling climate change and inequality.
Thought Leaders: A series on innovative American thinkers
Political discourse in the United States is shaped by audacious ideas of what a society should be. But who are the influencers and disruptors of American political thought that have paved the way for the systems that we currently have—and those still to come? Examine the lives of Floyd Abrams, Jerry Brown, Max Roach, William F. Buckley Jr., Cesar Chavez and Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Big Freedia on Little Richard, music and the queer community
In this extended outtake from "Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll" conducted by director James House, New Orleans bounce artist and performer Big Freedia reflects on the similarities between herself and Little Richard, and the impact he had on music on the queer community.
The king and queen of rock 'n' roll—and Sunset Boulevard
By 1985, Little Richard had abandoned rock 'n' roll, the music genre that he helped pioneer in the 1950s, and was living in a hotel in Los Angeles. "He would embrace people and they would ask him to sign autographs ... He would just wanna ride," said Ron Jones, his bandmate and friend.
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