The fifties and sixties of the United States were a time of prosperity and peace for most Americans. Living a carefree life without fear or worry. Booming economy, raising families, flashy cars, nice clothes, night clubs, and music. Doo-wop, swing, and rock and roll flooded the airwaves in homes, restaurants, cars, and clubs. Music was everywhere.
The post-World War II America in most Americans memories was a happy time. However, there are those that were forgotten, left in the shadows of Americas perfect mask that would remember that time very differently. For them, it was a time of Jim Crow laws, hatred, fear, abuse, segregated and substandard education or no education at all. Ridiculed and harassed for being black. Segregated and often times beaten or killed because of blind hate. With everything stacked against them, they never lost hope. Faith that one day things would change, for them and their future generations, it gave them the strength to stand up as one people and created the greatest movement our nation has ever seen.
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However, it was not without troubles and tragedies. It was a time of suffering and hurt, setbacks, failures, and red tape, physically and emotionally painful. Those that were forgotten took their pain and suffering and molded it into something profoundly beautiful; the Blues.
Music, particularly the blues was the great unifier and main motivation of the movement and everyone marching behind it. It gave them hope for a better future. It gave them something to stand behind, a shield from the hurt, a weapon of their own making. Blues was what they clung to because it was the only thing they had left, everything else had been withheld by malic or taken by law.
The blues at that times was anything but mainstream music. It had a particular following and received almost zero airplay. Played in homes, segregated bars and street corners. It is what we would call “underground music” today. The blues had deep roots in the south, tracing all the way back to slavery and sharecropping times. The blues mostly spoke of pain and suffering, heartache, lost love, or hope, despite the suffering. Martin Luther King Jr. said that “The blues tell the story of life’s difficulties — and, if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music.” (Kristy Houle) (Martin Luther King Speech at 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival).
I think this is the reason the blues had such an impact on the Civil Rights Movement. It was their anthem, written about them, and sung by them. It reached them on a level no other genre at the time possibly could. “The music served as a source of empowerment for those who shared similar sentiments with those performing it.” (Kristy Houle) It motivated them because it was their life, sang to a backdrop of harmonicas and guitars. It was their music. Their wants and wishes, struggles and heartache, finally sung aloud for all to hear. This alone must have been liberating after being silenced for so long. The suffering in the blues was very real to them, they had lived it first-hand. I believe this is how the blues inspired the masses to stand up and demand equality. Having lived through the worst that America had to offer at the time, the fight took on a slow and deliberate but peaceful tempo, much like the music that motivated the people to stand up for their freedom.
When broken down into its simplest form and traced back to its origin, it is easy to understand why the blues had such an impact on the Civil Rights Movement. It was a method of unification and communication that had been used for many generations who had come to pass. “Its inventors were slaves, ex-slaves and the descendants of slaves—African-American sharecroppers who sang as they toiled in the cotton and vegetable fields.” (Kopp) Music was a way of lifting spirits in the worst of conditions. Transporting them mentally to a more desirable place and time. Some of the chants that gave birth to the blues spoke of suffrage, loss, justified anger, revenge or escape if no one was listening. For the most part however, they spoke of hope, change, love, faith and the simple desire to be free and seen as equal. I think it gave a sense of belonging in a country that had rejected them completely. Repetitive chants and simple verses kept their minds at ease and allowed a way of checking on each other without disrupting their work. It's generally accepted that the music evolved from African spirituals, African chants, work songs, field hollers, rural fife and drum music, revivalist hymns, and country dance music.” (Kopp)
The building blocks of the blues stood the test of time. Speaking of hope even though they had no indication things would change in their favor. It remained simple and repetitive with clear messages that were easy to follow and repeat, allowing that message to be carried across great distances. Supporters of the movement, both black and white, could easily remember and redistribute the message to those willing and unwilling to listen. These catchy hooks and verses burned into the mind. It made people remember even when they weren't supportive of the cause. Having clear, cohesive messages sung amongst the masses of protesters instead of angry shouting and destructive behavior was a message all on its own. It is all too easy to feel justified fighting violence with violence. Bringing violence to a peaceful protest full of people singing blues and gospel shows the level of evil they were truly up against. It showed they were unified and steadfast in their wishes while keeping in tune with the morals and compassion those fighting against them had lost sight of a long time ago. It made people look at themselves in a new light, a source of oppression, especially through enaction. Guilt is a powerful emotion, powerful enough to bring people side by side and march for the same cause. To try to reverse laws that were put in place by their own race. It empowered the white population to pull their head out of the sand and see what was really happening in their own backyards.
Not all Blues men and women followed Reverend Martin Luther King Jrs teachings of peace and acceptance. Nina Simon saw the darker side of a systematically racist society from an early age. Watching her own parents be moved to the back of a church at her very first classical piano recital to make room for white people at the tender age of twelve. Unknowingly lighting a fire in her that wouldn’t soon be extinguished. She refused to continue until they were given back their seats. This gave her the first taste of being a civil rights activist, change doesn't happen unless someone steps up to the plate.
Earning her fame quicker than most, she was subjected to publicity and performances most of her life. She learned to use this platform and her music as a form of protest all its own. “The power of music to incite and encourage social change is a concept powerfully displayed in the life and work of Nina Simone, as she used her platform to amplify the voice of black people and black females in particular.” (Magill) Often calling for violence in protest, her songs were not the standard, full of hope and faith Blues. She was angry and she used her music to get that point across. She gave the people who were also angry a mouthpiece and the courage to stand up for themselves and march for their freedom. “Nina herself said that through using her music to address civil rights issues she found “a purpose more important than classical music’s pursuit of excellence.”” (Magill)
Whether positive or not, blues and blues artist had a major role in the civil rights movement. Justifiably angry or understanding and peaceful, both had their own way of motivating those that sought to change social injustices.
During peaceful protest, marches, and stand-ins the “call and response” form of songs that is a trademark of the blues help the protesters spread their message loud and clear. Not only supporting the whole but trying to paint a clear picture to the other side. It was a very powerful way to deliver their message without violence. In an interview, Jamila Jones, a member of the Harambee Singers recalls being at the Highlander Folk School for nonviolent activist training when it was raided by police. The group sat in the dark building after the police had cut the power and sang “We Shall Overcome” while adding the verse “We are not afraid” while they were unjustly detained. After seeing the unsettling affect their words and song had on the officers, she realized just how powerful these songs could be. “And I could not believe it. Here these people had all the guns, the billy clubs, the power, we thought. And he was asking me, with a shake, if I would not sing so loud. And it was that time that I really understood the power of our music.”(Jamila Jones)
When sung in mass, these songs help to blur out the hatred and harassment that they received in response to this protest. Not only was it uplifting, it gave them the mental strength to withstand physical pain, as they commonly had things thrown at them, or were beaten for their bravery. It also served as a white noise so to speak that drowned out the counter protest that was often filled with racial slurs and profanity.
Not only were the blues, and blues style music, a means of emotional support for the civil rights movement and the various protesters, but the artists themselves played a pivotal role in pushing forward with the movement financially. “Many blues artists held concerts to contribute to the movement and the activists in charge of rallying supporters” (Ward, 2009-2019). Civil rights activist, and folk blues singer and songwriter, Pete Seeger held many of these concerts that benefited various civil rights groups and organizations. During these concerts he would help spread the message of the movement and popularized the song “We Shal Overcome” which would later be dubbed “The unofficial anthem for the movement”. (Ward). Which has been sung in many styles by hundreds of people all over the world. 'That's how we often think of the song: large groups of people gathered together, singing it as they struggle against mighty odds”. (Morrison)
One of the most prominent blues figures of that time to grace the civil rights movement was the great Odetta Holmes. An inspiration to blues and folk artist from all walks of life, including Joan Baez and Miss Janis Joplin. Known best for her song “Oh Freedom” which included elements of jazz, folk, and blues like most of her music. “Odetta is often considered the voice of the entire civil rights movement. In listening to her music, it becomes quite evident why she was favored by fans such as Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King.”
Perhaps the biggest slap in the face to Jim Crow laws came from Ray Charles himself, in his own home state of Georgia in 1961. “When Bell Auditorium announced the show, students told Charles the dance floor would be for whites only and the upper balcony would be sectioned off for blacks. The singer immediately cancelled his appearance” (Trammell, Drake, Baker, Ahmad, Kenner) After paying the fine from the venue, he refused to play in Augusta Georgia until after they desegregated.
As the music gained momentum and popularity, so did the movement. Larger crowds at concerts meant more funds for larger crowds at marches and rallies. Mainstream artist outside of the genre started getting on board and spreading the movements message through songs. Bob Dylan’s “Blowin in the Wind” was an instant sensation that caught the interest of other Blues artist not yet supporting the movement, like Sam Cooke, pushing them to jump into the collaborative snowball. Sam was a well know gospel singer turned soul and rhythm and blues man. Not willing to derail his career, Cooke steered clear of singing or recording politically charged songs. After “Blowin in the Wind”s debut on the radio, and his own arrest for attempting to stay at a whites only hotel, he recorded “A Change is Gonna Come”. “Rolling Stone now calls 'A Change Is Gonna Come' one of the greatest songs of all time, but in 1964 its political message was a risky maneuver.” (NPR) He continued on, supporting the Civil Rights Movement no matter the cost after this. Taking popular movement songs and chants and inserting them into his performances. The unsuspecting and predominantly white audiences sang along to songs they knew nothing of, nor of their importance. It only mattered to Sam Cooke; he knew. I think his goal was to teach the underlying message of the civil rights movement without them even realizing what was happening. Desensitizing them to the ideas and teachings of the movement through music, so when the time came for real change to come about, it would be accepted easier. His usually upbeat performances turned to a more somber and serious tone.
To the protesters, and supporters of the movement, seeing high profile activist such as Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks stand side by side with well-known blues artists such as Odetta Holmes, Sam Cooke, and Mahalia Jackson only meant one thing, the movemant was growing, fast. These artists used there standing in the communities and the public stages they were privy to, to motivate others and push for change. With one common goal, and two avenues of action, together they were a force to be reckoned with. They were reaching people in astonishing numbers through the outpour of support from the music community, gaining momentum at a higher rate than what was originally thought possible.
Prominent people were starting to take notice. With that attention came action. Popular music artist, such as Sam Cooke and Sammy Davis Jr., started refusing to play to segregated audiences. Going so far as to having it written in contracts with potential clients, and absolutely refusing to perform if their demands were not met. This got people's attention and prompted big changes in the entertainment industry.
WDIA, a radio station in Memphis Tennessee, started to broadcast news of the movement and marches on the first all African-American format. While it may seem like a relatively small victory to most, it was huge for the African-American community. The blues finally got its much due air time and those who couldn’t be part of the movement were able to stay current with the slow but steady progress. Supporting from a distance, only able to attend in spirit out of fear of retaliation, or fear of losing what little life they had carved out for themselves. The music gave them a way to feel as if they were part of the action and gave them hope that the movement would bring about much needed change.
The Movement multiplied tenfold. Music calling for social justice was all over the airwaves, not just at rallies and marches. Artist were getting emboldened to write lyrics calling more people into action, pushing for unification. Bob Dylan went so far as to blatantly call politicians out in his hit “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. Raising eyebrows in both black and white communities, calling for those sitting on the fence with power at their disposal to take action. Pulling hard on the moral strings, the song called to people from all parts of the nation. Black, white, rich and poor. Rallying support for the ever-expanding cause. It was impossible to ignore the power behind the movement and the music.
People were putting pressure on lawmakers and politicians in a large response to the music. Marching arm in arm with people they hardly knew but felt a strong kinship with. They may not have known their name, where they were born, or what plans they had for themselves and their family. All they knew was what the music and the movement taught them; immense amounts of pain and struggle that needed to end. Truth in the music won the support of the people. They started acting like brothers and sisters, standing up for those who kept getting knocked down. The message had finally been validated in part. After two failed attempts, the march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama that eventually led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 was a tremendous victory. Prompting Grant Green to write and record his hit “Selma March”. A reflection of the joy felt after the third march was completed without ending in blood shed or political red tape.
The unsung heroes of the civil rights movement were those who studied and practiced the songs of the movement in hushed meeting in secluded locations. Names unpublicized for fear of retaliation, without fame or limelight for protection. They were the ones who risked everything to sing. Leading the marches, protest, and set-ins in song, they blended into the background of scared yet hopeful faces. All too eager to give the credit over to the activist and artists for inspiring the masses, they were joyous just seeing their hard work come to fruition. The song leaders for the civil rights do not receive near the amount if applause as they should. Knowing if they were caught, they would face punishments far exceeding the crime, or possible death. The music and the movement gave them courage.
I think blues is one of the few genres of music capable of such great feats. To be able to simultaneously unify and uplift so many people at a time, from so many different walks of life when they have every reason to give up or be afraid. The power to persuade so many people to change and look inside themselves, reflect on their own faults is not something you hear today on local radio Although the practice of “protest through song” is not dead, it seems to me that the music of today has lost its truth. there is not much genuine vulnerability anymore, the realness just is not there anymore. After the death of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, the blues continued to work its healing magic on the raw wounds left behind by the sins of our country. It's difficult to spread hate when there was so much love to be heard in the blues. The love of the blues continued to draw people from every imaginable background. People saw something relatable and familiar in one another, even if it was only that one thing, it was a start.
It took on fresh new sounds and singing styles, instruments were added and taken away. It spread into unfamiliar territory, finding itself in the middle of a worldwide blues phenomenon. People couldn’t get enough, publishing records at a breakneck pace to keep up with the demand. Branching into new genres and bringing in young artist. However, to those that were still around to remember, it remained what is had always been; the sound of Freedom. Blues Played a more significant Role in US Civil Rights Movement than any other genre of music.
References
- https://hecmedia.org/posts/how-music-moved-the-movement-civil-rights-and-the-blues/ “How Music Moved the Movement: Civil Rights and the Blues” By Kristy Houle
- http://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/civil-rights-movement/essays/%E2%80%9Cpeople-get-ready%E2%80%9D-music-and-civil-rights-movement-1950s “People Get Ready”: Music and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s”
- https://musicedmasters.kent.edu/the-role-of-music-in-the-civil-rights-movement/ “The Role of Music in the Civil Rights Movement”
- https://santafe.com/article/a-history-of-blues-music “A History of Blues Music”
- https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-brief-history-of-the-blues-by-ed-kopp.php “A Brief History of the Blues” By ED KOPP August 16, 2005
- https://atlantablackstar.com/2016/05/02/10-legendary-black-singers-who-risked-it-all-by-refusing-to-perform-for-segregated-audiences/3/' 10 Legendary Black Singers Who Risked It All by Refusing to Perform for Segregated Audiences” Kiersten Willis May 2, 2016
- https://www.loc.gov/collections/civil-rights-history-project/articles-and-essays/music-in-the-civil-rights-movement/ Music In the Civil Rights Movement
- https://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/features/2017/11/12/black-and-blue-how-nina-simone-transformed-the-civil-rights-movement-into-music/' Black and Blue: How Nina Simone transformed the Civil Rights movement into music” Joanna Magill on November 12, 2017
- https://yourstory.com/2017/05/music-of-bob-dylan “How Bob Dylan changed the course of history through his music” Sanjana Ray 24th May 2017
- https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/99315652/songs-of-the-civil-rights-movement “Songs Of The Civil Rights Movement” Nick Morrison January 18, 2010
- https://www.npr.org/2014/02/01/268995033/sam-cooke-and-the-song-that-almost-scared-him NPR Staff February 1, 2014
- https://www.complex.com/music/2013/02/the-25-most-important-civil-rights-moments-in-music-history/ray-charles “The 25 Most Important Civil Rights Moments in Music History” Matthew Trammell, David Drake, Ernast Baker, Insanul Ahmed, Bob Kenner FEB 07, 2013
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