Sen. Cory Booker, who earlier this month announced his 2020 presidential campaign, is celebrating the final day of Black History Month with a new episode of his podcast including a deep-dive on music that he feels both reflects and defines the African American experience.
Booker was joined for a discussion by resident Tonight Show drum slayer Questlove, who also shared a few favorite artists and cuts of his own.
"[Music is] not only an internal experience, but it's an external connective experience that's really important," Booker says on the latest episode of his Lift Every Voice podcast. "These songs have been about the struggle for righteousness, for justice, and [for the] conscience of our country. I know for me, whether it was the coded songs of the underground railroad or the gospel music of the civil rights era, music has played a critical role in our efforts toward building a more just, true America."
Prince, Gil Scott-Heron, and Michael Jackson were among the favorites dropped by Booker and Questlove during the episode. To accompany the episode's release, Booker also put together a Black History Month playlist on Spotify including 2Pac, Alicia Keys, and more:
For the full podcast episode, head to all major podcast providers, including Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL.
When announcing his POTUS run at the top of the month, Booker refrained from mentioning Trump directly and instead stuck to outlining his idea of an ideal USA. "I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind," he said.
