The Soul Music Gallery

Labels like STAX, HI and Satellite recruited musical artists from the black community, and some of its stars literally walked in off the streets.  Memphis music was a product of collaboration - and sometimes tension - between black and white musicians. Soul music embodied African-American cultural identity and aspirations in the volatile 1960s and became an important voice of expressing black pride, and demanding political change. Just as white teenagers expressed themselves through their speech, dress, and rock ‘n’ roll, soul was a part of a larger identity for African-Americans.  Soul music changed from popular entertainment to a vehicle for political expression and community activism.