Most Celebrated Freedom Song By Zilphia Horton

Joan Baez was a white singer that sang “oh freedom”. She ended up singing it at Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech. In the meaningful slow song Joan Baez expressed her wanting for equality and freedom.

In the time period of slavery, many famous slave songs were produced, and most of the slave owners and others found their singing as a form of joy. In reality, singing was the slave’s form of sadness, and emotion. Slaves got through the day by singing about their hardships and troubles. Fredrick Douglass in the quote above explains that through all of his hardships, he got through it with his “sorrow songs” to pacify him and his fellow slaves to be able to complete their

All cultures following prehistory had a musical background, therefore everyone can connect more effectively with a music containing a message than a speech, therefore spreading the message more effectively. “The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle” (MLK). In the case of the Civil Rights Movement, it was the prominent method to give the group a voice, represent them, and highlight their determination for social change. When times were hard for the movement, they would also rely on songs to sustain morale:

During World War II, a Czechoslovakian Jewish girl named Edith Singer was able to survive the holocaust by her faith. Not only was she able to keep herself a live, but she also was able to push, and help other’s to survive. Edith does not lose her faith in God, and is able to transfer her faith into other’s that she cares for. Her faith also leads her to keep her mental health during the horrible times she and other Jewish people went through. The Nazi soldier’s did not give the Jewish people any type of mercy which made the holocaust even more horrific than anyone can imagine.

In the article, McCalla lists 10 famous songs about civil rights movement and analyzed their contents. "Oh Freedom" is about the call for freedom in the Civil Rights movement. "We Shall Not Be Moved" presents the determination in Civil right movement of face with govenment. "Go Tell It On the Mountain" is as an analogy for Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement. "Time They Are A Changin by Bob Dylan captured the spirit and essence of the change and turmoil that surrounded the Civil Rights movement". "Lift Every Voice And Sing" and " Strange Fruit" talk about ugly essence of lynchings racism and the opposition to the Civil Rights movement. Moreover, "People Get Ready" is about the optimism and excitement of the Civil Rights movement

On March 23, 1775, in the meeting hall of St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, a group of important statesmen, merchants, plantation owners, military leaders, and various others met to determine the fate of their beloved colony. The colony of Virginia, under the governorship of Lord Dunmore, was tearing at its seams between monarchists, who remained loyal to the British Crown, and patriots in support of independence.

Langston Hughes spoke and captivated the general struggles of an African American’s life during the 1900s through his poem, “I, Too.” Hughes’ points out the injustice of bigotry or one’s beliefs in America, and his overall message is saying that an African American’s hard work is just as noteworthy as any other American. In contrast, Walt Whitman, author of “I Hear America Singing,” speaks about the employed citizens of America. He gives honor to those who are living their lives and working to make America a better place. Despite the fact that both poems are similar, they also have a vast amount of differences. Whitman’s poem is perplexed, while Hughes’ is straightforward. These authors’ poems focus on different themes and give the readers different perspectives. These poems are inspiring and demonstrate a new vision for society, however, the themes vary as Whitman focuses on a unified nation, and Hughes demonstrates his writing through an individual.

The book assigned to all incoming freshmen of the College of Charleston to read over the summer was a poignant look into the prejudice-scarred past of the American south. Named for those few months in 1964 that redefined freedom and equality in America, it included many noble and inspirational characters, and choosing one to write about was no easy task. However, reading Freedom Summer, I found myself drawn to one character in particular: Chris Williams. The youngest of those who ventured into the heart of bloody Mississippi that summer, this 18-year old boy grew into a man by the time that summer was through with him. I cheered him on as he left his comfortable home, his high school diploma, and even his hippie hairstyle in Massachusetts. I was in awe of

Freedom day was written in dedication to the Stonewall Riots. In the first stanza, the listeners are put into the point of view as gay person during the time period.“ Liberty denied” refers to the many gay people whose rights were often violated by the police. At the time, the positive views about homosexuality was taboo, and deemed illegal as there were laws agaisnt homosexaulity in many areas of the country. The negative views cast on homosexaulity and made it possible for the police to raid any gay club to search for “illegal” activities, which the Stonewall Inn had to go through. “ No sense asking the way, No one on your side” shows the frustration that many lgbt+ people had, trying to peacefully claim their rights they had as U.S. citizens.

The blues have made these impacts primarily in the 1960’s, when the Civil Rights Movement was taking place. The African Americans sang these songs in their time of rebellion. The songs were sometimes referred to as civil rights songs. A very well know civil rights song was ‘We Shall Overcome.’ This song was originally made to protest towards a tobacco work strike in 1945.

But Walter Robinson’s song of “Harriet Tubman” that came out of 1977 is what I believe is the closest record in song of the struggle that all enslaved African American went through as they escaped to freedom through the underground railroad.

     The power of song helped slaves through their dehumanized lives. They created unity in songs of religion and denounced the power their masters held over them. They were going to rebel in all facets of life. Slaves knew “that a happy slave is an extinct man” (p.33). The meanings of these songs can not be overstated. One who knew the importance of song was Frederick Douglass. “They told a tale of woe...they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the

One of the most popular songs in the North and South was during the Civil War whih was “The Battle Cry of Freedom. It was written it 1862 by George Frederick Root, whom was an American composer during the era of the Civil War. The song possessed two versions in which it could be interpreted differently depending on the regions point of view. Both regions in the North and the South had lyrics that were modified when compared together. The Union and the Confederacy both demonstrates their mottos and their objectives.

The 5 songs on the “Freedom Now Suite” playlist is divide into 3 pieces. The first two pieces, “Driva Man” and “Freedom Day” are set during the Civil War period. The third piece is a three-part duet by Lincoln and Roach, and the final two movements, “All Africa” and “Tears For Johannesburg”, featuring Michael Olatunji, Ray Mantilla and Tomas DuVall who share their views on the civil rights issues.

“Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger became a popular anti-war protest song during the 1960s. This song did not only protest against the Vietnam War but also made their generation more aware about the global problems. Songs like “Not Ready to Make Nice” by Dixie chicks about freedom of speech was written after they received death threats for singing against the Iraq war, protests against the violation of human rights. But music is not only used to protest, it is also used to give hope and optimism. “We Shall Overcome”, a song sung by Guy Carawan together with the Montgomery Gospel Trio and the Nashville Quartet, is perhaps the best known example of civil rights song. Instead of blaming the government, this song registered a feeling of hope and faith among African-Americans during the civil rights movement.