" But if we deduce significant cultural relations from the study of institutions alone, we shall be in danger of missing some important cases in which cultural organization has not been, in any ordinary sense, institutional" (Williams 35).
What I appreciate about Williams' approach to culture, specifically his take on the sociology of culture, is its inclusivity of a variety of cultural formations. Williams argues that the study of culture should not be limited to the cultural production and relations of recognized institutions but, conversely, academics and intellectuals should examine as well the development, dynamics, and innerworkings of cultural movements. What makes these cultural movements so valuable is the ability cultural students have to examine closely the methods of cultural production from a grass-roots perspective, which is often difficult when studying art produced at the institutional level.
Why I am so excited about this inclusion of modern cultural formations is the importance given to art of resistance and revolution, which I find so powerful and captivating. This type of art was all too common during the 1960s, which marked a period of social unrest and revolution. One movement durng the 1960s that has always captured my interest is the Black Arts Movement (BAM), which was the artistic branch of the Black Power Movement. In order to understand the art of this movement, one definetely would have to adopt William's view of culture representing a "signifying system," through which the art of the Black Power Movement does not merely indicate a new approach to style, technique, composition, and form but more importantly reflects the social conditions and social relations of the African-American population during the 1960s.
In regards to the social relations of cultural production of the BAM, which I find the most interesting, it is important to note that the Black Arts Movement emerged right after the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. Malcolm X was a strong proponent of the "Black is Beautiful Ideology," and urged his black followers to celebrate their skin color instead of viewing it as being a hindrance or a curse. The leader also fought against Euro-American cultural hegemony and assimilation, teaching blacks that they ought to return to their own heritage and culture for guidance and direction. In hopes of preserving and commemorating Malcolm X's ideological stances, African-American author,playwright,and activist Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) led Harlem-based black artists in a movement that would celebrate and promote a black aesthetic, which included ideologies and perspectives that focused on black cultural tradition and rhetorical strategies. This aesthetic could be found in a vast range of mediums including literature, poetry, theatre, music, and dance. Furthermore, these mediums not only celebrated black culture, but served as tools to promote black political agendas and to address issues in the black community.
Although the BAM movement was self-organized, the art it produced was far-reaching and had a huge impact on political, social, economic, and educational institutions. For example, the Black Arts Movement paved the way for subsequent civil rights movements which would be led by feminists, members of the LGBT, Asian-Americans, and Latinos. Furthermore, in regards to academia, the movement helped promote multiculturalism, which led to the expansion of the literary canon in addition to the emergence of African-American Studies and Woman Studies departments in many colleges and universities. The Black Arts Movement gives us as cultural students a reason not to dismiss the power independent cultural formations have to promote change through their art.
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