the revolution will not be televised

proverb

A societal revolution will happen genuinely and in real life, and will not be caught on film.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. datedA societal revolution will happen genuinely and in real life, and will not be caught on film.

Origin

Originally a popular slogan among the 1960s Black Power movements in the United States, further popularized by Gil Scott-Heron's song and poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (1970).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

the revolution will not be televised. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20revolution%20will%20not%20be%20televised

MLA

“the revolution will not be televised.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20revolution%20will%20not%20be%20televised. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the revolution will not be televised,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20revolution%20will%20not%20be%20televised.

Source: the revolution will not be televised on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.