The music of the movement was music of hope and inspiration. Originally taken from spirituals, the songs turned into freedom songs then folk songs then rhythm and blues. These songs were the anthems for the movement as well as its heart and soul.
Interviews with Andrew Young, Gladys Knight and Others
Andrew Young, Gladys Knight, Pete Seeger, Ruby Dee and others relate how the songs of the 1960s civil rights movement inspired people through the tough times.
When some in the movement were jailed, the songs they sang during their incarceration were the only things that got them through and at the same time exasperated the jailers as the people continued to sing all day, every day. But the songs were their form of expression and optimism, and buoyed them through the tough times. The reliving of this time by the people who were there and who participated is both educational and heartening.
The Songs That Came Out of the Movement
Some of the songs that made an impact in these years of turmoil were “I Shall Not Be Moved,” “We Shall Overcome,” “A Change is Gonna Come,” “Free at Last,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “People Get Ready.” These songs told the story of struggle and hope. Years later a group of musicians and songwriters, including Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, voted “People Get Ready” one of the ten best songs of all time.
With footage of the freedom riders, the marchers, and the events of the decade, this documentary brings back an emotional time in the history of America.
The Civil Rights Act Changed the Appearance of Singing Groups
Until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed after the death of President Kennedy, blacks and whites could not perform together onstage. The signing of the act by President Johnson changed that and soon thereafter music groups were integrated, which added greatly to the movement’s hopefulness.
In 1967 the Civil Rights Movement gave way to the black power movement, which altered perceptions across the land. 1968 came and went with turmoil. There were the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, riots, and the demonstrations in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention.
These emotional songs were the basic infrastructure of a pivotal movement in history.
From Time Life, Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement was originally broadcast on TV One and is now available on DVD with a companion 3-CD set available as well.
