Legacy: A Rhythm Heard Today
"...It is the feeling of relaxed exhaustion after you've done everything you can to assert yourself. You can rest now because you've worked to be free. It's a realistic feeling of peacefulness. You know what you've been through."
(Max Roach)
Later Life
Max Roach continued to play and perform throughout the entirety of his life, and continued to tour in the 21st century. Much of Roach's later work was considered somewhat unusual. He worked with classical artists and spoken word artists such as rappers, in addition to composing works for numerous plays, films, and dances. He formed the Max Roach Double Quartet which included drums and string players.
Roach believed that the music could not be boxed into specific genres or given concrete labels. He proved throughout his lifetime how the fight against racial injustice could be communicated with the power of music, This strong belief that music is a sacred art, regardless of race, continues to inspire musicians today.
Max Roach passed away on August 16th, 2007.
Present-Day Effects
The fight against racism in America did not end after the Civil Rights Movement. Although progress has been made, discrimination continues to divide and cause racial prejudice between groups. Recent protests for the Black Lives Matter movement have spread more awareness about modern systemic racism. Thousands have come together to speak out against unnecessary police brutality and the killings of multiple Black citizens at the hands of White law enforcement.
Following in the footsteps of Roach, modern artists such as Beyonce, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, protest racism through their music.
The "We Insist!" album effectively pioneered activism through music, and continues to prove that music can speak louder than words.
Max Roach performing at the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival at Columbia University (2000). (PC-Ozier Muhammed)
Maggie Brown, daughter of Oscar Brown (Roach's former co-writer), performs the "We Insist! Freedom Now Suite" at Pritzker Pavillion in Chicago. She was one of many artists' who performed Roach and Brown's album to create a work called "We Re-Inisist!" (2015) (PC-Armando L. Sanchez)
A Combined Pride and Black Lives Matter protest in Washington, DC (June 13th, 2020) (PC unknown).
Economic Freedom Fighters show their support for Black Lives Matter movement in South Africa (June 8, 2020) (PC-Marco Longari)
