Music of the civil rights era was crucial to the movement. It communicated unspeakable feeling and the desire for radical change across the nation. Freedom songs were sung by participants in the civil rights movement, unifying the black community. There was often more singing than talking during the protests and demonstrations, showing how powerful the songs really were. In several cases these songs began as gospel or spiritual, the most famous of these being "This Little Light of Mine" and "We Shall Overcome."
"It was the music that gave us the courage, the will, the drive to go on despite of it all."
-Congressman John Lewis
Performed by the Sanger Music Team.
Listen to Mahalia's powerful voice as she sings before Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to the congregation.
by Shane W. Evans
The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is popularly remembered as the backdrop for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s now-famous speech. We March tells the story of the March on Washington from the perspective of the marchers — in particular, one family that participated.
The Children’s March in Birmingham explores the resistance and persistence of young people in 1963 as they nonviolently protested for change.
In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Frank Morrison's emotive oil-on-canvas paintings bring this historical event to life, while Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time.
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and his strong voice and powerful message were joined and lifted in song by world-renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. It was a moment that changed the course of history and is imprinted in minds forever. Told through Andrea Davis Pinkney’s poetic prose and Brian Pinkney’s evocative illustration, the stories of these two powerful voices and lives are told side-by-side — as they would one day walk — following the journey from their youth to a culmination at this historical event when they united as one and inspiring kids to find their own voices and speak up for what is right.
It only takes a few words to create change. It only takes a few people to believe that change is possible. And when those people sing out, they can change the world. "We Shall Overcome" is one of their songs. From the song's roots in America's era of slavery through to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and today, "We Shall Overcome" has come to represent the fight for equality and freedom around the world. This important book, lyrically written by Debbie Levy and paired with elegant, collage-style art by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, pays tribute to the heroic spirit of the famous song that encompasses American history.
The Youngest Marcher is the true story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist. In this biographical story, you will meet the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. The story shows readers you are never too young to make a difference!