Music Of The Civil Rights Movement

Teachers searching for new ways to observe Black History Month now have a great resource with "In Performance at the White House: Songs of the Civil Rights Movement.” The concert, which was held last week, can be heard on National Public Radio [2]. You can also check out President Barack Obama’s introductory remarks [3].

Bernice Johnson Reagon's rendition of  "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" is one of the concert’s highlights. She sang it with members of Sweet Honey in the Rock, the a capella group she founded in 1973. Johnson encouraged the audience to sing along, just as she had when she led songs at civil rights rallies in the 1960s.

"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round," was a freedom song. These congregational numbers were sung to encourage protestors before marches and sit-ins. Freedom songs are a great basis for classroom activities, such as webquests to research the motivational tactics of civil rights leaders.

You can supplement this concert with "Voices of the Civil Rights Movement," [4] a compilation of freedom songs from the 1960s. These songs can be bought as a two-CD set or as individual downloads. The liner notes, written by Reagon, can be downloaded for free.