MUSIC OF THE
BY JAMES JONES, ARTS 0 ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
For as long as people have lived here on Earth,
music has been a powerful vehicle for expres
sion. Outside of the obvious entertainment fac
tor, music has served as a tool used to soothe,
motivate and commiserate.
The music of the 1950s and ’60s, specifically,
the music of the civil rights movement, was no
different.
The name most synonymous with the Civil
Rights Movement, of course, is Dr. Martin
Luther King, and his leadership had a great
influence on the music of the movement. Much
like him, these songs gave people a renewed
sense of purpose and courage, and provided a
base for solidarity.
Perhaps the most iconic song representing
the civil rights movement is “We Shall Over-
come.”The song became associated with the
movement in 1959 and became synonymous
with non-violent struggle. Its lyrics serve as a
reminder to keep believing and keep pushing
for change.
In 1963, Odetta performed the song “Oh Free
dom,” at the March on Washington, the event
where Dr. King delivered his legendary “I Have
a Dream” speech.
The song is performed without instruments,
and instead relies on the singer and crowd to
keep pace with coordinated claps and stomps.
It has particularly powerful lyrics that modern
ize the thoughts of Africans who were brought
to America as slaves on the Middle Passage:
“Before I’d be a slave, I’ll be buried in my
grave/And go home to my Lord and be free.”
Songs like this reflected an increasing national
black pride. They warned the opposition that
the movement would not be stopped and res
onated with black people, reminding them to
keep pushing for their rights.
December 1964 saw the release of Sam Cooke’s
classic “A Change Is Gonna Come.”The song
is a reflection on Cooke’s life, and was largely
inspired by an incident where he and his trav
eling group were denied access to a whites-on-
ly motel in Louisiana. Its lyrics speak on the
oppression of the system and is a plea for help.
Blacks had become truly fed up with their
treatment in America.
The assassination of King on April 4,
1968, shook the fabric of the world. Riots
and uprisings ensued around the world as
people conveyed the pain that losing such
a peaceful and powerful leader brought
them.
For many, the King assassination brought
on a very haunting perspective - if some
one was willing to harm him, what did
that say about the state of our world?
Three days later, Nina Simone and her
band performed the song “Why (The
King of Love is Dead)” at the Westbury
Music Festival on Long Island, N.Y., as a
reaction to the violence. The performance
lasted nearly 15 minutes.
The song was a microcosm of the feelings
of black America.
Dr. Samuel Livingston, director of More
house College’s African American Studies
Program, was able to provide some com
mentary based on his research.
“This song was a powerful reflection on
what black people were thinking,” Living
ston said. “What are we gonna do? Now
that they have murdered, assassinated Dr.
King, how do we move forward?”
In the aftermath of King’s death, anoth
er song that became powerful with the
black power movement was James Brown’s
“Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud,”
released four months after King’s assassi
nation.
The song was a concerted effort by over
30 people. Its call-and-response chorus is
performed by children of the surround
ing Los Angeles community, specifically
Watts and Compton. It speaks of black
empowerment, of having the power of
self-determination and being able to
choose one’s own destiny; of being un
afraid of the power that whites held.
Brown’s song inspired an entire generation
of black people who began to view their
dark skin and the strength of their ances
tors as a source of pride. Many musicians,
artists and leaders of later generations
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