Maureen Mahon

About the Author

Maureen Mahon is a distinguished scholar and author whose work illuminates the intersections of music, race, and culture in America. With a PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago, she has dedicated her career to exploring how African American artists navigate and challenge societal norms through creative expression. Her groundbreaking book, Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race, chronicles the formation and impact of the Black Rock Coalition, a pivotal organization that fostered Black musicians in the rock genre during the 1980s and beyond. Mahon's research draws on extensive fieldwork, archival materials, and interviews to reveal the cultural politics behind the fight for racial equity in popular music. As a professor of music at New York University, she continues to influence generations of students and scholars with her insightful analyses of sound and identity.