Music of the Civil Rights Movement

Music of the Civil Rights Movement

https://teachrock.org/lesson/music-of-the-civil-rights-movement-2/

How did music and singing contribute to the Civil Rights Movement?

​In this lesson, you will:

• Analyze music of the Civil Rights Movement

• Discover how music and singing contributed to the Civil Rights Movement

• Explore the African American history and culture of the music

• Identify important figures of the movement

Summary of YouTube Video on Christianity and Slavery

Throughout history, Christianity and slavery were intertwined as masters believed the religion could pacify slaves; however, African-Americans transformed Christianity into a foundation for their freedom struggle. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in 1794 by Richard Allen, an enslaved man who bought his freedom, played a key role. Black religious leaders like Reverend Allen advocated for abolition and aided in the Underground Railroad.

Following the Civil War, they engaged in political activism and leadership, essential during the civil rights movement. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. epitomized this tradition by combining religion, nonviolent resistance, and music to challenge discrimination. Today, the black church continues to be a vital institution for the black community, providing spiritual support in the face of enduring racism and discrimination.

Listen to We Shall Overcome while reading along with the lyrics. (handout)

Open Ended

"We Shall Overcome"

1. What instruments are performing the music? What do you hear? What is absent?

What might be the benefits of singing music without instruments?

Open Ended

We Shall Overcome Questions

What are some of the themes expressed in the lyrics?

How does the song make you feel? Why?

Open Ended

What did Freedom Songs and singing do for those participating in the movement?

How were traditional African American spirituals modified to become Freedom Songs?

Were there any themes you noticed in the songs sung in the video? If so, what were they?

Open Ended

In what other ways did music play an essential role in the Civil Rights Movement?

How might singing Freedom Songs be an effective nonviolent tactic?

Why might it be important to choose a song to sing at a civil rights event?

Read the quotes by the Civil Rights activists.

Open Ended

In what other ways did music play an essential role in the Civil Rights Movement?

How might singing Freedom Songs be an effective nonviolent tactic?

Listen to Oh, Freedom

Open Ended

1. What is the overall mood of “Oh, Freedom”? Is it mournful? Optimistic? Something else? Can a song be many moods at the same time? If so, why do you think so?

2. Why do you think a song associated with the period immediately after the U.S. Civil War resonated with the Civil Rights movement? What are some of the parallels between the two periods?

Open Ended

3. What were the themes expressed in the lyrics of the song? How do those themes connect to the Civil Rights Movement? 4. What are the similarities between this song and “We Shall Overcome”?

Open Ended

5. How was the featured singer involved in the Civil Rights Movement? What might that say about the connection between music and the movement

Listen to "A Change is Gonna Come"

Open Ended

1. What is the overall mood of “A Change is Gonna Come”? Is it mournful? Optimistic? Something else? Can a song be many moods at the same time? If so, why do you think so?

2. Do the lyrics refer specifically to the Civil Rights movement? What story do they tell?

Open Ended

3. What were the themes expressed in the lyrics of the song? How do those themes connect to the Civil Rights Movement?

4. What are the similarities between this song and “We Shall Overcome”?

Open Ended

5. How was the featured singer involved in the Civil Rights Movement?

What might that say about the connection between music and the movement?

Read the handout by Bernice Johnson Reagon.

Open Ended

What does Bernice Johnson Reagon suggest

music provided to the Civil Rights Movement?

How might music help someone or some issue

“become visible”?

Is music simply a form of entertainment, or can it

have other purposes as well?

The music of the Civil Rights Movement has origins in the Black Church

• Songs sung during the movement were often developed from African American

Spirituals and were called Freedom Songs

• “We Shall Overcome” is one of the most popular Freedom Songs of the movement

• Singing Freedom Songs provided resilience, hope, and a sense of community to Civil

Rights activists

• Civil Rights activists, Folk musicians, and popular music artists performed Freedom Songs.