How Did Music Influence The Civil Rights Movement

Elvis Presley was one of the most influential rock and roll singers in the American history. Presley’s work revolutionized the music and brought about significant changes in the entertainment industry. He grew up in an environment where racial segregation between the whites and African Americans was highly pronounced. In fact, Presley schooled in Memphis where he graduated from a whites-only high school. However, he upheld the Black’s music and made it possible for their music to be accessed by the White American youths. Presley’s tracks broke past the racial barrier as many teenagers loved his amazing voice. Through his music, he confronted racism and challenged both social and moral values. Elvis Presley changed the manner in which the Black minority were treated in the U.S. through his music, and this initiated the fights against racial discrimination leading to the civil rights movement.

Throughout history African Americans have always fought for true equality. Whether it be slave revolts or sitting in the reserved section for whites on a segregated bus, African Americans have stood up for their rights and demanded change in society. One way they fostered a change in society is through the development of music. Historically, African American musicians have uniquely expressed their ideals of the American Dream through musical periods such as jazz, rock, and rap and the historical movements behind them by utilizing their elevated platform to speak about the plight of African Americans and fight for equality through historical protests, music, and speeches.

During this call to action, people had different ideas on how to respond to the events surrounding the bombing on 16th street Baptist church. The response ranged from marching, protests, and most importantly, music. During the Civil Rights movement, music allowed artists to express their dissent through a medium in which their message could reach a plethora of peoples. Music during this time was also akin to the music effect of “work songs” sang during slavery as well as songs such as “we shall overcome” which draws parallels to songs sang as slaves attempted to escape to the north. Music also helped those involved in the civil

It was no coincidence that rock ‘n’ roll and the civil rights movement started at the same time. The genre originated from African American music and was greatly discriminated against. Traditional white Americans would target anything bad about it. But as the teenager demographic of the 1950s started increasing the sales of the music, the genre started gaining more popularity. It was the style of Elvis Presley and his new voice that made girls weak in the knees and boys want to be him. Artists such as Presley had enough influence to change the view of their devoted fans on civil rights issues. Soon as protest songs and rock ‘n’ roll became more popular and influential, it began a gap between the young adult generation and their parents

Through all of the Civil Rights era, music of all kinds was used to spread the message of peace, love, and equality. Many singers played a key role during the movement by sending the messages to listeners and being an icon to many African Americans.

America was a much different place during the 1960s. The eternal struggle for African American’s rights was still a very big part of our culture. It was because of the struggles of many civil rights activist that they ended the hatred and prejudices aimed at their race. There were many different ways to protest, and speak up for your rights. People like Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks were some of the famous people who stood up for a change and fought back against the hatred. Another way to fight back was through music. Music was a big part of the 1960s and has many influences on the way culture was changed at this time. Many artist at this time like Bob Dylan and The Beatles were putting out song of protests about many things. Maybe

The music during Civil Rights Movement gave every black person a voice within all of the chaos. Like today, music is a way to inspire people and lift their spirits in a time of hardships. An important song during the Civil Rights Movement was “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. The song was originally a poem written by James Weldon Johnson, which his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, turned into a song that they sang together.

Music played a critical role during the Civil Rights Movement. Songs about Protestors experiences helped give African Americans a voice. The many lyrics of the protest songs showcase the struggles African Americans had to endure each and everyday of their lives. Not only did the music showcase their struggles, but it paved the path for hope and helped unite the many protesters fighting for equality. Civil Rights protesters knew they were going to face a difficult battle protesting against segregationlists .

The 1960’s was one of the most controversial decades in American history because of not only the Vietnam War, but there was an outbreak of protests involving civil and social conditions all across college campuses. These protests have been taken to the extent where people either have died or have been seriously injured. However, during the 1960’s, America saw a popular form of art known as protest music, which responded to the social turmoil of that era, from the civil rights movement to the war in Vietnam. A veritable pantheon of musicians, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan sang their songs to encourage union organizers to protest the inequities of their time, creating a diverse variety of popular

This story was written in the era of segregation that gave life to the concept of “mobilizing jazz communities” in order to “develop and sustain socio-political movements” that were important to the civil rights

Music is essential to the African American culture experience in the United States. Even though African Americans were faced with racism, they were always inspired by music to live in peace. Even though jazz was a game changer for culture acceptance with whites, there were still negative aspects that created new barriers of blocking the true form of music. And so, white folk did what they do best and that’s to point fingers and make their own solutions. White bands and soloist players started forming and taking up slots in which were originally already for African Americans. Black jazz musicians were less credited for their invention and innovation of jazz music. Jazz music created a sense of identity, originality, and social blend among black musicians, but they weren’t credited for there work. White people like to see other white people win…and they can’t win when it comes to jazz…because black people created this” . There is the believe that black jazz musicians experienced a lot of resentment because they felt that they did not always receive acknowledgement for their accomplishments, while whites were granted titles such as “King of Swing” and “King of Jazz” Again, this social effect of jazz was a result of greed by whites of every class, and it created anger among black jazz musicians.

This article reminded me of several times in history when music was used by African Americans to survive times of hardship. In the time of slavery, music was used as an escape. The negro spiritual was sung by the slaves who worked in the fields and those who worked in the household alike. The songs took them to a more peaceful time and were passed down from generation to generation. The negro spiritual was even used by Harriet Tubman and others who worked the Underground Railroad as a code. The spirituals were used as a haven for the African Americans who were not in charge of their own lives. That same music would be used in future generations as a war call and as a way to endure the struggles they would face.

To what extent can music provide a means of resistance for challenging the power relations of racism, class and gender?

“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.

Throughout time, music has been an influential part of society. As a form of entertainment and expression, its impact has always been felt both economically and emotionally. During the Vietnam war, music evolved into more a form of expression rather than pure entertainment. Emotionally charged songs became a method to oppose the war, and vent frustrations. While many songs opposed the war, numerous others focused on peace and happiness. They provided a positive perspective in an otherwise depressing time. Along with incorporating passion into music, cultural diversity increased in music greatly. Black artists became progressively more popular and accepted in the musical scene. This respect