‘We Had to Do It for Ourselves’: Chaka Khan on the Black Power Movement
Chaka Khan reflects on her involvement in the Black Power Movement during the Sixties and Seventies. She emphasizes the importance of equality and self-protection, highlighting her work with the Black Panther Party's free-breakfast program. Khan believes that the need for change and self-reliance remains relevant today.
- ▪Chaka Khan was actively involved in the Black Power Movement during the Sixties and Seventies.
- ▪She participated in the Black Panther Party's free-breakfast-for-children program while in high school.
- ▪Khan stresses the importance of self-reliance and caring for one's community.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
American Icons ‘We Had to Do It for Ourselves’: Chaka Khan on the Black Power Movement The nationwide push for equality in the Sixties is still impacting how we live today By Chaka Khan Chaka Khan May 19, 2026 T here was a lot going on in the late-Sixties and Seventies. I was very involved, doing a lot of marching. There was a lot of inequality, and it needed to be fixed. I’ve always been one for love, honesty, and kindness. Fairness. All of these things still mean a great deal to me, as much as they did when I was a kid. Growing up in Chicago, I was engulfed in all that action that was going on — from Martin Luther King to Farrakhan, everybody who was making sense, I was listening.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Rolling Stone.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Rolling Stone
