Singing the Civil Rights

Civil Rights Movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. Legal and other efforts led by African Americans against racism and segregation and for the performance of legislation ensuring their full civil and human rights. Music at that time played a big role. The songs called freedom songs motivated people to continue fighting for their rights. It gave them strength and power. Music brought people together and established solidarity. Bernice Johnson Reagon said, ”One of the first things that's important when you think about freedom songs and the Civil Rights Movement is to not actually think of freedom songs as if they were created strategically by the Movement. Like the collective breath of the Movement, they were a natural outpouring, evidencing the life force of the fight for freedom.” As Bernice Johnson Reagon says, the freedom songs were the key to success.

This is the essay of Bernice Johnson Reagon

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/reflect/r03_music.html

In the Civil Rights Movement, most of the singing was congregational. In other words, freedom songs were also named congregational songs. These freedom songs were also political songs sung by people who were opposing an unfair society. These songs were sung everywhere, but people usually held meetings at the church because that was the safest place for them. As I said in the paragraph above, the songs helped people to continue fighting for their rights. It also helped them to come closer together and to realize that they are not alone. As it says in the article eyes on the prize, "Mass meetings would generally start... with people singing songs -- spiritual songs, singing freedom songs -- and it was really kind of a warm-up thing to get people involved, to get people to relax."

This is the link to this article

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/09_summer.html#music

After the big struggle that the African American went through, it finally got over and people now are seeing as equal. Government now gave them a kind of independence and everything started opening for them. The freedom songs are still living in all hearts of the African American people. It is still important because these songs remind them the hard time they had.

The White House planned a concert during the Black History Month to celebrate the music that actually tells the story of America. Here is a link which shows the White House celebrating Civil Rights Movement through music.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june10/music_02-11.html