2016 has been a year marked by many important struggles for justice, and also by the ascent of reactionary right wing politics to the White House. All of our movements will face big battles in 2017 as Donald Trump and his band of billionaires and generals take the reigns of power. Here’s some new music from the past year that can help inspire us to carry forward and strengthen our movements for the struggles to come. These are only a sampling of songs from this year; if you want to add more that have inspired you, comment on the article on facebook.

Minneapolis, MN – Two days after Donald Trump was declared the winner in the presidential election, several thousand people poured into the streets of Minneapolis, Nov. 10, to express their outrage and pledging to resist Trump’s entire reactionary agenda. Chants ranged from “We reject the president elect!” and “Not our president!” to chants supporting particular struggles and movements like immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, Native struggles, environmental struggles, LGBTQ and women's liberation, and more.

Minneapolis, MN – Around 200 people packed Cowles Auditorium at the University of Minnesota Oct. 20 to hear from the families of eight Minnesota men who are currently detained by immigration officials and facing the threat of deportation to Cambodia. The families called for the release of the Minnesota 8 and an end to unjust deportations. The event also featured the documentary Sentenced Home, which tells the stories of several men who have already been deported to Cambodia.

Durban, South Africa – 1500 delegates from class-struggle unions from over 110 countries gathered in Durban, South Africa on Oct. 5 to begin the 17th Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). The WFTU represents 92 million workers in 125 countries.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 400 rank-and-file members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) joined the picket lines of the nurses on strike at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Friday, Sept. 23. They held a solidarity rally and walked the picket lines together with striking nurses, undeterred by the rain. Eight buses and many cars full of AFSCME members went together from the AFSCME Council 5 convention in Bloomington, which brought together AFSCME members from throughout Minnesota.

Minneapolis, MN – On a sunny Saturday afternoon July 9, hundreds of people gathered in Loring Park, marched through downtown Minneapolis then sat in outside two entrances to the Basilica Block Party demanding justice for Philando Castile. Castile was murdered by St. Anthony police officers Thursday night on Larpenteur Avenue, as his girlfriend and her daughter sat in the car with him during a traffic stop and his girlfriend recorded live video of the incident to Facebook. The video went viral provoking outrage and protests nationwide.

St. Paul, MN – With less than 24 hours notice, 5000 people gathered July 7 for an evening vigil at J.J. Hill Elementary School, then marched to the governor’s mansion demanding justice for Philando Castile. Late the night before, video spread of a Saint Anthony police officer shooting and killing Castile during a traffic stop on Larpenteur Avenue near the state fairgrounds. The video was recorded and posted live by Castile’s girlfriend who was in the car with him, along with her 4-year-old daughter.

Minneapolis, MN – Large numbers of people came together July 1 on a beautiful Minneapolis summer evening for a ‘happy hour and appetizers’ fundraiser. The event raised money for a bus from Minneapolis to Cleveland to protest Donald Trump’s racist and anti-immigrant agenda on the first day of the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Minneapolis, MN – Immigrant rights activists marched from the office of democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar to the Minnesota Republican Party headquarters May 25 to protest a new wave of immigration raids and deportations targeting Central American mothers and children in May and June. The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee as part of the No More Deportations campaign.

Minneapolis, MN – Hundreds of people marched April 29 in Minneapolis to commemorate International Workers Day and continue the struggle for immigrant and workers’ rights. The annual march started at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue and marched two miles to Hennepin County Government Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. The march was initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and was endorsed by more than 40 unions, immigrant rights and social justice organizations, including both the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Regional Labor Federations.