What does it really mean to fight for peace?

In this episode of The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy, Dr. Reiland Rabaka explores the radical legacy of pacifism and nonviolent resistance in African American history and beyond. From W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr. to Bayard Rustin and Angela Davis, Dr. Rabaka brings forward voices that have imagined—and embodied—a different way of doing justice work.

With characteristic insight and honesty, Dr. Rabaka unpacks the philosophical roots of nonviolence, the misunderstandings surrounding pacifism, and its continued urgency in a world increasingly shaped by violence and division.

“To be deeply and profoundly committed to pacifism means that you're actually active — on the move, fighting for peace. I know it's ironic, but sometimes we have to be willing to fight nonviolently, yet fighting nonetheless, for peace.”

This episode challenges us to rethink activism, discipline, and courage—and to reflect on what kind of community we’re truly trying to build.

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In this powerful closing chapter of our Hip Hop Studies series, Dr. Reiland Rabaka invites us to step beyond the music and into the deeper meaning of hip hop as a worldwide movement for change.

While most people think of hip hop as just beats and rhymes, Dr. Rabaka challenges us to see it as something much larger: a living, breathing social movement rooted in community, activism, and the ongoing fight for justice. He explores how hip hop emerged from the margins — born in the Bronx, nurtured in neighborhoods often overlooked or deliberately neglected — and transformed into a global force that now shapes culture, politics, and social consciousness around the world.

“Rap music and hip hop culture are merely the tools… if they can be used to degrade and destroy, then they can also be used to elevate and educate.” — Dr. Reiland Rabaka

In this episode, we dig into how artists used — and continue to use — hip hop to fight oppression, tell untold stories, and create space for community healing and imagination. We discuss the movement’s connections to earlier Black freedom struggles, and how it has become an archive of resistance, resilience, and radical possibility.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of hip hop or just beginning to understand its power, this conversation will expand your view of what music can do — and what it can mean.

See more show notes and see our customized playlist for Episode 13 on our website.

The Cause: Conversations on Music, History, and Democracy with Dr. Reiland Rabaka explores how music and culture inspire movements for justice and social change. Hosted by Dr. Reiland Rabaka — Professor of African, African American, and Caribbean Studies, and Founding Director of The Center for African and African American Studies (The CAAAS) at the University of Colorado Boulder — each episode uncovers the stories, rhythms, and voices that shape our world, from civil rights anthems to the global force of hip hop.