Brutal remedy
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Both Fun^da^mental and ADF present strong political and cultural remedies to combat white supremacist racism, emphasizing resistance and the importance of political engagement in music and popular culture. Fun^da^mental, in particular, uses their music as a platform for political statements. For example, their video Dog-Tribe directly tackles the issue of racism, calling for a response to street and institutional racism. Their work reflects an anti-colonial stance and a call for self-defence against racism, integrating migrant and anti-colonial sentiments into a broader progressive narrative (Hutnyck, 73). Fun^da^mental views music not as a mere commercial pursuit, but as a tool to engage and raise questions about race violence, specifically targeting young viewers and challenging mainstream media norms (Hutnyck, p. 64).
Similarly, ADF uses music to raise awareness of marginalized communities' ongoing struggles and the need to build alliances to resist racism. The group’s work is framed within a global context, highlighting the broader political implications of racism, including the impact of imperialism and colonialism. Both groups use their music to mobilize resistance against white supremacist violence and to inspire action within their communities and beyond.
Hutnyck criticizes the academic tendency to ignore the radical political potential of cultural expressions like music. This indifference is compounded by the law-and-order approach to racism, which focuses on punitive measures rather than addressing the underlying social and political causes of racial injustice. Law-and-order approaches often reduce racism to individual acts of discrimination or violence, ignoring the systemic nature of racism and its deep historical roots. This perspective also fails to recognize the role of cultural and political movements, such as those represented by Fun^da^mental and ADF, in challenging and resisting the structures that sustain white supremacist ideologies (Hutnyck, 51-52). Moreover, by focusing on law enforcement or cultural nostalgia for "authentic" communities, they fail to engage with the real, lived experiences of racism and the need for active, political resistance (Hutnyck,52).