Freedom Songs

The Importance of Music.

The civil rights movement depended upon commitment from small groups of people in situations that were filled with tension and frequently with violence. Drawing on the experience of the labor struggles of the 1930s, music became a way to maintain the spirits and sense of community of the participants. Because the church was the center of the black community in the South and frequently the force behind the civil rights movement, religious songs were often adapted for the situation. With topical lyrics adapted for the changing situations, these spirituals and gospel songs encouraged the activists and brought reassurance to the singers. In time they became the way mass demonstrations expressed their moral hopes. One of the early favorites was "We Shall Not Be Moved," which spread from the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, one of the early training centers for movement activists. The anthem of the movement...

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