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How Did Music Affect The Civil Rights Movement

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Throughout time music helped change the social, economic, and political view of society. Many artists during history influenced the changes in society bringing people together and empowering their movements, most of these songs have significant and powerful meaning behind them. The Civil Rights Movement started with Rosa Parks and it became a fight for black americans fighting for the right of a citizen of the United States, speeches and protests were how society expressed their feelings. Speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Johnson quote the song “We Shall OverCome” by an anonymous artist , the song was also performed by Joan Baez in the Lincoln Memorial, all of these affected the movement in societies views. The song “We Shall Overcome” became the ever so famous protest song for the Civil Right Movement. Throughout history, songs of protest impacted movements, unification, and politics. During the Civil Rights Movement “We Shall Overcome” …show more content…

On March 15th 1965,after the Bloody Sunday Attacks in Capitol Hill President Johnson gave his speech to Congress. In his speech he urged Congress to pass the voting right legislation. Johnson then cited the ever so popular Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome”. Johnson said “Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice--and we shall overcome (Johnson, 1965).” When President Johnson said “We shall overcome” Martin Luther King was in a home at Selma watching the speech with other people whom “none of whom had ever, during all the hard years, seen King cry (Caro, ‘When LBL….)” cried out of happiness while he was at a home in Selma. When Johnson came back to the White House the wave protesters who were protesting not to pass the legislation were gone. On August 6th President Johnson signed the “Voting Rights

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