politics

April 30, 2026

‘You are the machine that kills hate’: Woody Guthrie’s protest anthems strike a chord with a new generation

A timely exhibit at NYU celebrates the anti-fascist folk artist – despite the university’s recent suppression of campus protests

‘You are the machine that kills hate’: Woody Guthrie’s protest anthems strike a chord with a new generation

TL;DR

  • An exhibition titled 'Woody Guthrie: What This Guitar Might Do' at NYU's Clive Davis Institute explores the relevance of Guthrie's protest music to current political climates.
  • The exhibition includes a recreation of Guthrie's apartment and over 130 reproductions of his archival materials, such as cartoons, drawings, and lyrics.
  • Student curators aimed to capture Guthrie's abundant creative energy and playfulness, encouraging visitors to engage creatively.
  • The materials displayed highlight Guthrie's political engagement, including calls to organize and vote, critiques of capitalists, and support for union drives and anti-police brutality efforts.
  • The exhibition connects Guthrie's tradition of protest music to contemporary artists like Bad Bunny, Bruce Springsteen, and the Dropkick Murphys, framing it as 'creative resistance'.
  • Nora Guthrie, Woody's daughter, emphasized the joyous and danceable nature of protest music, referencing Woody's connection to Emma Goldman's quote about not wanting to be part of a revolution she can't dance to.
  • The exhibition's focus shifted from a New York-centric theme to broader political themes due to concerns about NYU's handling of recent campus protests against the war on Gaza.
  • The curators and Nora Guthrie see the exhibition as an act of 'creative resistance' within the current climate.

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