A new book from one of the nation’s leading entertainment attorneys examines the complex relationship between race, pop culture, and the legal system, while shedding light on the long history of Black artists being exploited through intellectual property and copyright laws.
Recently released by Simon & Schuster, “Our Minds Were Always Free” by Lisa E. Davis explores the powerful role Black creatives have played in shaping American culture — and the long battle to gain ownership of their work. Through the lens of intellectual property and entertainment law, Davis highlights how securing ownership rights has helped Black artists, innovators, and creators begin building generational wealth within the Black community after decades of exploitation.
The book explores how Black artists and innovators have long shaped American music, film, and television while fighting for the right to own and profit from their creative work. Spanning from the drafting of the Constitution to today’s entertainment industry, Davis traces the journey from Black Americans being treated as property to building wealth through intellectual property, highlighting the generations of overlooked talent that paved the way for stars like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.
“Our Minds Were Always Free is a treatise on Black genius, a masterclass in intellectual property, and a history lesson on the intersection of creativity, capitalism and cultural exploitation,” said Michael Harriot, New York Times bestselling author of Black AF History. “This should be required reading for every Black artist and creative.”
While intellectual property law is rarely discussed as a barrier to success, “Our Minds Were Always Free” argues it has played a major role in who profits from American culture. The book highlights how Black creatives helped shape the music, film, and television industries that made American entertainment globally influential, while often being denied ownership of their ideas. Davis shows how gaining control over creative work has become a powerful pathway toward building generational wealth in the Black community.
“My Hero Lisa E. Davis has spent her career digging into the underbelly of intellectual property and cleaning up the mess,” said Chuck D of Public Enemy. “Her work champions clarity—from analog roots to digital dominance. An unheralded force for over a quarter of a century, she’s helped reshape the game. Her legacy is sealed with Our Minds Were Always Free, cutting through cultural confusion to reveal how so many millions got melted in the heat of the ‘so-called beat.’”
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