ipl-logo

Music In The Civil Rights Movement

560 Words3 Pages

The civil rights movement is one one of the greatest social justice movements in American history. Throughout countless marches, speeches, rallies, African Americans were able to unite all races to protest for the equal rights of all individuals.Through these countless times, music was often relied upon to peace and uplift spirits. To manage, civil rights groups relied heavily on music, so much that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in “Why can’t we wait” that music was “the soul of the movement”. During long protests, individuals in both courtyards or jail cells would rely on singing and humming to keep the peace and energy among the crowd. Singing was also a huge part of opening and closing ceremonies, as vocalness helped relieve anxiety …show more content…

With that expansion, music started provided financial support with musicians organizing concerts to promote causes and raise money for the movement. Some of the leaders of music in the civil rights movement included Odetta, who was considered the voice of the civil rights movement known for her song “Oh, Freedom” that she sang at the 1963 march in Washington. Nina Simone, a prominent singer from Tryon, North Carolina, often included civil rights messages in her performances and was a key figure at the Selma to Montgomery marches. Nina was known for her song “Mississippi Goddam” which was inspired by a church bombing in Mississippi that killed civil rights activist Medgar …show more content…

When you think about Civil rights movement music the first things that comes to people’s minds is “We shall overcome”. It was known as the face of the movement. It is not a marching song. It is not necessarily defiant. It is a promise: "We shall overcome someday. Deep in my heart, I do believe". The first political use came in 1945 in Charleston, S.C. There was a strike against the American Tobacco Co. The workers wanted a raise; they were making 45 cents an hour. They marched and sang together on the picket line, "We will overcome, and we will win our rights someday”. Freedom songs were a way of life during the Civil Rights Movement. The songs contained many meanings for all participants. Songs could embody sadness, happiness, joy, or determination among many other feelings. People depended on music to keep them going. It’s what kept the movement

Show More
Related
1458 Words | 6 Pages

March Rhetorical Analysis The 1960’s civil rights movement often used persuasive language to echo the unheard voices of many individuals. Some more than others possessed the ability to exercise their potent use of language to bring forward prominent changes. In the book, March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, eloquent methods of speech play an important role. John Lewis, Martin Luther King, and George Wallace are some that expressed their beliefs through persuasive empowering words.

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

She performed the song live at Carnegie Hall in New York City (5). The chorus of the song is “Alabama's gotten me so upset, Tennessee made me lose my rest, And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam” (6). The murder of Medgar Evans, a black civil rights activist, in Mississippi on June 12, 1963 and the church bombing in Alabama that killed four little black girls on September 15, 1963 lead Nina Simone to write “Mississippi Goddam” (1). Additionally, in 1960, sit-ins and protests were happening in Nashville, Tennessee, which lead to the bombing of the home of civil rights lawyer Z. Alexander Looby (5). The events that happened in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee upset Nina Simone tremendously.

Read More
1282 Words | 6 Pages

The 1960’s were an age of political unrest. There were many African Americans nationwide striving for racial equality. In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a speech to garner support from the members of congress to pass his proposed voting bill. Lyndon B. Johnson’s “We Shall Overcome” speech, uses the rhetorical appeals and repetition to push for racial equality in order to pass the Voting Rights Act. Background Information

Read More
771 Words | 4 Pages

“We shall overcome,” sang the black children of Birmingham, Alabama. On May 2 1963 the Children's March of Birmingham, Alabama started. Over 3000 kids were involved and most ended up in jail. To this day the march has changed how the world looks at black children's rights. The children's march has lead up to what now is called the civil rights act which has also changed our world today.

Read More
922 Words | 4 Pages

Motown Motown didn’t just make great music, they made an impact in the civil right movement. Though you can’t see the impact as much as you see the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X, they did play a role in the movement. Motown was started by Berry Gordy in 1959. He didn’t only care about making money through his music, he wanted to help out in the movement of civil rights.

Read More
782 Words | 4 Pages

Swing has also helped people come together not only to listen, but also to play. It was during the time of the civil rights movement that swing was created and popularized. While the African Americans had their freedom, they were still largely unaccepted and segregated. Even though swing did not fix the segregation part of the world, it did bring blacks and whites together in interesting ways. Swing was first introduced by black musicians.

Read More
1524 Words | 7 Pages

Not to mention, “not only has music been a direct means of anti-war protest, but the culture of peace and love, seen especially in the Woodstock festival, has also pervaded the minds of the public” (Hopkins). The controversial Vietnam War affected many people in the United States, but the war caused a socio cultural revolution through the power of

Read More
571 Words | 3 Pages

The reading “Popular music and the civil war” explained the heavy influence that music had leading up to and during the civil war. Music was used to express the way Americans, those in the north or south, were feeling during this time. Through their lyrics, writers and singers were able to convey their feelings on topics such as being separated from loved ones, losing someone, patriotism for the confederates or the union, and anything else that related to war time. Many of these songs appealed to the Americans because they could easily relate to what the lyrics were saying. Therefore, songs were being greatly produced during this time because people were purchasing the music, whether that was by going to see the performance of it, or buying

Read More
544 Words | 3 Pages

It is African American’s way to express their pride and their resistance against discrimination and social injustices. Since then, the song itself has some specific connotations attached and evoked certain feelings/emotions, I think it would remain as a form of active music against racial injustice because it speaks to people who are fighting/ advocating for their rights. The song holds a bittersweet tone to it since the lyrics suggest that people should be grateful for the changes and civil movements in history, but they still need to strive on because the march to victory is still not over. They need to continue until “victory is

Read More
1201 Words | 5 Pages

Over the course of human history, music has been an integral part of life. Music’s impact can be seen in every facet of the world today and it is a way to express feelings, tell a story, or prove a point. It can bring people together and can transcend communities, cultures, and ideologies. Although many do not realize it, music has had a profound impact on all human lives, and the lives of all others that have since died. Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come’ is a song that defined a generation while bringing the oppression and injustice that African Americans experienced, on a daily basis, to the forefront of society.

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

For African Americans, jazz music, has always had a political undercurrent. Slave songs spoke of the “Israelites” enslaved by the Egyptians, such as in Go Down Moses, symbolising their own yearning for freedom. However, it took time for the assertion of the political message to develop in a more discernible way. Jazz’s status as a form of entertainment had effectively subdued the message for many years, because of the ostracisation of those involved and because of the early popularity of the white swing bands. The majority of jazz musicians were not political activists, rarely explicitly political in their work, however, they often expressed their political ideals, sometimes more subtley other times more overtly through their music.

Read More
191 Words | 1 Pages

However not as vast as Cooke's version of the song. In which he portrays motivation, emotion, and passion for the civil rights movement. Cooke connects to his listener’s emotionally reminding them of the

Read More
875 Words | 4 Pages

Music is not only used to capture peoples hearing but it is used to power peoples minds through the power of an individuals voice. Music served a critical role in the African American’s lives, as it was used to uplift their spirits as well as providing them with hope and strength to fight for civil rights and overcome segregation between white superiority and the unfair treatment of the inferior black. Music was defined as the voice of the people that lived through the oppression of the civil rights movement. During the civil rights movement, there were many different types of music genres sung, dependent on the culture, this included spiritual music; gospel and even folk music, which was performed by musicians, singers and even people of any musical talents. Through this, it brought about the uniting of people to join together and sing songs that helped them go through the oppression of the civil rights movement.

Read More
529 Words | 3 Pages

Green Day is not the only artist with a protest song behind them; many other artists have some as well such as Neil young’s song called “Living With War.” These songs open the eyes of society and allow them to understand and discuss their points

Read More
865 Words | 4 Pages

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free by Nina Simone Nina Simone was a talented and popular singer in 1967, her music was playing on the radio and sometimes they played her songs on the streets. She was one of the most powerful women who was protesting against government and for civil rights. Her songs made people think that it doesn’t really make a big difference if people are black or white, or if you are speaking different languages. Nina Simone is a black women who expressed her feelings by writing songs and singing in front of millions. Every single word in her songs was very sensual, and every single note was very careful thought out,like in these lines:

Read More

More about Music In The Civil Rights Movement

Related Topics

Open Document