Resistance Movements, Reform and Music: A Case Study on Aponka Karenyane (Ghana) and Nina Simone (America).

• In Event: "Envisioning Freedom: Black Women’s Creativity, Memory, and Resistance Across Pan-African Landscapes"

Abstract

Resistance movements have long served as a vehicle for social transformation, and music has been a potent instrument in amplifying these struggles. This paper explores the intertwined roles of resistance, reform, and music through a comparative case study of Aponka Karenyane in Ghana and Nina Simone in America. Aponka Karenyane's influential leadership during Ghana's anti-colonial resistance and Nina Simone's commanding voice during America's Civil Rights Movement exemplify how cultural and political resistance converges to challenge systemic oppression. Both women wielded music to galvanize their communities and redefined the boundaries of activism and cultural identity. Drawing on archival research, oral histories, and musical analysis, this study examines how these figures used music as a site of resistance and a call for reform. The paper illuminates the shared empowerment strategies across continents and time, offering new insights into the global resonance of Black women's activism. By situating Aponka Karenyane and Nina Simone within their distinct yet interconnected historical contexts (Sankofa), this work underscores the enduring power of music as a tool for resistance and a pathway to envisioning justice.

Author

• Nana Amoah-Ramey, Indiana University Bloomington