The Concert

After the Watts revolts of 1965, Stax Records put on a concert to celebrate the people of Watts and to acknowledge how far they had come. This concert was called Wattstax, and it took place on a warm, sunny afternoon on August 20th, 1972 in the USC Coliseum. It only cost $1, so that as many people as possible could attend, while still making enough money to pay for expenses. About 100,000 people were in attendance at the concert. The concert's point was to bring people together to dance, sing, and be together, as well as to advertise Stax singers. At Wattstax, many famous Black artists performed, including Issac Hayes and Rufus Thomas. During the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the entire audience stood up and put their fists in the air. Raising a fist in the air symbolized the Black Power movement, and represented the challenges African Americans faced.. Building off of this inspiring moment, Jesse Jackson performed his motivational, “I am Somebody” speech. This speech recognized the lives and struggles of the citizens of Watts. The concert was a both engaging and unifying event that recognized the struggles African Americans had to endure, as well as the progress that they have made.