Ethical Love: A Mixtape of Resistance and Care

 Ryker Rodgers

Dr. Harris

ENGL2017-64187

30 April 2025

Ethical Love: A Mixtape of Resistance and Care

Introduction

This mixtape is all about artists who use their music to spread love and liberation in real ways. Not just the kind of love we see in movies or hear in love songs—but love that’s about healing, growth, and standing up for something bigger. To show the opposite side of what bell hooks critiques about certain aspects of popular culture including R&B and rap music, particularly when she says these genres promote harmful stereotypes or reinforce negative ideas about Black love and relationships. I was inspired by how bell hooks talks about a love ethic—where love means responsibility, honesty, respect, and care— and how Toni Morrison shows what happens when love is missing or misunderstood in Sula. 

In this playlist, I picked songs that represent what it really means to live by love as a daily action, especially in a world that doesn’t always make space for it. These songs talk about self-love, community love, love as resistance, and the kind of love that’s not always easy but necessary. This mixtape is a journey through what love can look like when it’s honest, freeing, and powerful enough to change lives. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5HiQMKi4WDqlZUtRkPUsfl?si=9fgfDS8FRgezMrD1Ds8ISw&pi=9mICmCYjSj6n8 

Track List and Justification:

  1. “Good Days” by SZA

This song is about trying to stay grounded and hopeful while healing from the past. SZA’s vulnerability hits hard—she’s honest about not having it all figured out, but still pushing forward. That kind of self-reflection is powerful. It reminds me of Sula, because both the song and the novel show that healing and self-love aren’t clean or easy—they take time, patience, and honesty.

  1. “Shea Butter Baby” by Ari Lennox 

Ari brings confidence, softness, and strength all at once. This song feels like a celebration of loving your skin, your body, and your own presence. It connects to the idea of a love ethic because it’s about showing up as your full self and being proud of it. That’s the kind of self-love that pushes back against shame and domination— exactly what bell hooks says is needed to break cycles of oppression. 

  1. “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar

This song is like a survival anthem. Kendrick says we’re gonna be alright even when everything feels against us. That’s real love—love for your people, for your community. It’s hope, and it’s also protest. That’s exactly the kind of love bell hooks talks about: love that fights for justice and doesn’t give up.

  1. “Didn’t Cha Know” by Erykah Badu

Erykah is honestly one of my all time favorite artists and this song is about feeling lost but still pushing forward. It makes me think of Nel’s confusion about her choices and Sula’s determination to live on her own terms. Erykah’s voice is soft but strong, and it shows that love for yourself isn’t always loud—it can be quiet, patient, and deep. 

  1. “Django Jane” by Janelle Monáe

Janelle’s not asking for permission to be powerful, she is claiming it. This song is full of pride, and her love for herself and other Black women is loud and unapologetic. That kind of energy is what a love ethic looks like when it refuses to be small or quiet. 

  1. “Bigger” by Beyoncé 

Beyoncé sings about being part of something bigger, something greater. It’s love as responsibility. She’s saying we all matter, and that our stories are important. That kind of message lines up with hooks’ belief in building strong, loving communities. 

  1. “To Zion” by Lauryn Hill

Just like Erykah, Lauryn is also one of my all time favorite artists. This one is personal. Lauryn talks about choosing love even when others told her not to. That takes courage. Real love—especially when it means going against what people expect—is never easy. But she chose responsibility and connection, just like hooks says we should.

  1. “Love is…” by Common

Common gets deep in this song. He’s thinking out loud about what love actually means—not the surface-level kind, but real, accountable, respectful love. That’s the kind of love we don’t see enough in Sula, but it’s what the book is asking us to imagine. 

  1. “Hard Place” by H.E.R. 

Sometimes love means making tough choices. H.E.R. is stuck between wanting someone and knowing it might not be right. That tension feels like Nel, who wants to do the right thing but struggles with her feelings. This song shows love isn’t always black and white—it takes honestly and emotional work. 

  1. “Love is Stronger Than Pride” by Sade

Sade’s voice is calm but full of emotion. This song is about being vulnerable, even when pride gets in the way. That’s real love—letting go of ego and being honest about what you feel. That kind of vulnerability is powerful and needed in any love ethic. 

  1. “Spaceships” by Tank and the Bangas

This one is more playful, but it’s full of imagination and joy; which matters. Love isn’t always heavy—it can be freeing, creative, and fun. This song reminds me that dreaming big and being weird is also a form of self-love and liberation. 

  1. “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” by Nina Simone

Along with Erykah and Lauryn, Nina Simone is another one of my all time favorite artists. She made this song for the younger generation to feel inspired and to feel proud of who they are. It’s not just a song—it’s a message. Loving yourself when the world tells you not to is a radical act. Simone’s voice is a reminder that love can be political and powerful. 

  1. “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke

I wanted to save the best for last because this is the best way to end the mixtape. Sam Cooke’s voice carries so much pain and hope at the same time. It’s a song about belief in something better—even when it feels far away. That’s love that doesn’t quit. Love that fights. Love that heals. 

Conclusion

Every song on this mixtape shows a different side of what real love looks like. Whether it’s about loving yourself, standing with your people, or being honest even when it hurts—this is the kind of love that bell hooks says we need more of. It’s not always easy, it’s not always pretty, but it’s the kind of love that can change things. And like Sula shows, when that kind of love is missing, everything falls apart. These artists don’t just sing about love—they live it. And their music is their testimony that when love is rooted in truth, justice, and care—using the definition of love ethic that bell hooks gives us—it doesn’t just heal; it transforms, uplifts, and leads the way to real freedom. 

Works Cited

hooks, bell. Salvation: Black People and Love. William Morrow, 2001. 

Morrison, Toni. Sula. Vintage International, 2004. 

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