Freedom Songs Power & Legacy

I find immense peace and enjoyment in historical freedom songs. The most important tools in the history of civil rights were the iconic freedom songs. Freedom songs were an invaluable asset to the civil rights movement, and many widespread protests that followed.

Singing and music were critical in uniting and inspiring participants in the civil rights movement and bringing an impactful voice in the fight against racial injustice. The idea of unity was vital to the civil rights movement, as that was the key component on whether the revolution would be a success or a failure in the quest to gain equal rights. Legendary Songs such as “We Shall Overcome”, “Oh Freedom” and “Keep Your Eyes one the Prize” pushed the boundaries of freedom and equality by peacefully and indirectly denouncing segregation in favor of people of all races to stand together as one.

An abundance of Freedom Songs stemmed from religious hymns or spiritual music of slave ancestors that possessed themes of optimism, redemption, hope, and despair that are heavily portrayed in the lyrics. The rhythm and words of the songs are modified to accent the situations of the civil rights movement. Churches were the main centers for freedom songs to be practiced as many meetings took place within them. Gospel songs and hymns were often altered with a jazz feeling that targeted particular areas or people. However, despite the political aspects of the songs, they never strayed away from their religious and introspective tone.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was a huge advocate for the use of freedom songs. The songs themselves were the nonviolent weapons to combat the white violence African-Americans faced during the civil rights movements. King emphasizes their importance basing his own idealistic beliefs that the songs were the keys to fighting white oppression and the Jim Crow laws. In his memoir, Stride Toward Freedom, he states the songs “brought to mind the long history of the Negro’s suffering.” As well as in his 1964 book Why We Can’t Wait, King refers to the songs as “the soul of the movement.” Along with encouraging other civil rights activists to “sing the freedom songs today for the same reason the slaves sang them, because we too are in bondage and the songs add hope to our determination that We shall overcome, Black and White together, We shall overcome someday.”

Every freedom song had its own unique message and significance. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is one the most famous and impactful songs of the civil rights movement, which was written by James and John Johnson. The message it sends is to raise the spirits of African-Americans by encouraging the people to not let the horrific past of slavery and oppression, bring them down and be proud of their race and legacy. The message was so powerful that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” became the Black National Anthem.

Two major factors that made freedom songs so vital in the battle for civil rights during the 60s and protesting war and police brutality of the 70s, were the mass number of people who sang them. The bigger the crowd of people, the more effective the songs became. Some songs were reinvented to fit specific moments this includes protestors being arrested or prison cells themselves. The idea behind this was to bring a solid voice of the people who took a stand against injustice rather than multiple voices at once. Participation in freedom songs from the masses was a way to gain culture and tell a story of major or minor events to spectators during this era.

One example of innovation within songs was during the Freedom Rides. Once the riders arrived in Mississippi, they were incarcerated in Parchman Prison. They relentlessly sang songs with modified lyrics based on the situation. When the first batch of freedom riders were imprisoned, more racially diverse people in various parts of the United States began to take part in the freedom rides. During the rides, the groups sang, “Buses are a comin, oh yeah”. Civil Rights activist Bernard Lafayette stated that the prison guards attempted to cease the singing by telling the riders “if you don’t shut up, we’ll take your mattress,”. The threat would be countered with the protestors singing, “You can take my mattress, you can take my mattress, oh yeah, you can take my mattress, you can take my mattress, I’ll keep my freedom, oh yeah…” So freedom songs had the unique ability to be made on the spot and the frequent usage of this ability resulted in steadily breaking the function of the Jim Crow laws, and those who practiced them.

Overall, evolving from spiritual hymns of African ancestors and into full fledged songs that personified unity, love and equality. Freedom songs were revolutionized through the collaboration between musicians and activists during big meetings. The deep meanings of freedom songs inspired individuals to unite throughout the country and embrace equality. Freedom songs as a whole have played a special role in defining African-American identity. From their origins to the innovators to practitioners, freedom songs stand as vital pieces of history and culture that define the legacy of African-Americans.