Music in the Era of Civil Rights
Barbara Tischler
Horace Mann School
New York
Introduction
Music can be a powerful tool that teachers can use to bring the Civil Rights Movement to life. The two are so intertwined that the connection is easy to take for granted; the movement inspired music, while the music sometimes influenced the movement. What follows here is a brief guide for educators to some of the most important songs and performers, showing their impact on an era that redefined America.
Origins
The music that we associate with the twentieth century movement for civil rights and racial equality has its roots in the call-and-response songs of Africa and the work songs and spirituals of the slave community. Africans sang to accompany work and travel by boat or on foot, to tell stories, and to mark events in the calendar. When Africans were captured and transported as slaves to the colonies of North America, they brought their story-telling traditions and their singing styles with them.
In the English colonies and the United States, particularly in the plantation South, slaves created music to ease the burden of repetitive work, to express religious fervor, to maintain their history through stories, and to express their humanity. Songs that praised the righteousness of the ancient Hebrews enslaved by the Egyptians and, of course, of their journey out of bondage, spoke to the current plight of the slaves who longed for redemption in heaven ("Swing low, sweet chariot, Comin' for to carry me home.") or escape in this life ("Moses stood on the Red Sea shore, Battin at the water with a two-by-four.") communicated strong message about the value of freedom, of owning one's self, and making one's own way without the shackles of physical or emotional enslavement. There is a clear lineage from the slave songs that invoked the bravery of Moses and the suffering of Jesus to songs in the twentieth century with lyrics like "Woke up this morning with my mind set on freedom."
Activity for Teachers: Listen to a spiritual sung in a traditional style as it might have been sung in slavery times (i.e., a cappella with a leader who sings the verses and a group that sings the chorus). Discuss the lyrics and the relationship of the song to the idea of freedom for slaves.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers
Before songs were instruments of struggle in the modern civil rights movement, they served to demonstrate the education and cultivation of middle-class and working-class African Americans who sought their own place in American society and culture. Institutions of higher learning for young African Americans provided educational opportunities and the motivation to seek equal opportunity in society, even as segregation was legal and common practice in much of the nation.
To this end, Fisk University opened in Nashville in 1866. The school offered a liberal arts education to "young men and women irrespective of color." Within five years, however, the school was in dire financial straits. The Jubilee Singers, originally comprised of nine performers, went on tour to earn money for the University, starting in 1871. Early audiences were surprised at the formal demeanor of the singers who did not perform in "minstrel style." The name Jubilee Singers referred to the year of Jubilee in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 25. Eventually, white audiences responded positively to the singers. In 1873 the group grew to eleven members and toured Europe for the first time. Funds raised that year were used to construct the school's first permanent building, Jubilee Hall, which is a landmark today. Some of the earliest civil rights demonstrations in Nashville in the early 1960s were planned at Fisk University. The Jubilee Singers continue to perform spirituals and popular songs to raise funds for Fisk. In 2008, the group performed in Ghana, and the Singers presented a Carnegie Hall concert in 2009.
Activity for Teachers: Listen to and compare the version of "Down By the Riverside" sung by the Fisk Jubilee singers with one sung by a gospel choir such as the Harlem Christian Tabernacle Church Choir (both available on iTunes).
Watch the YouTube videos on The Fisk Jubilee Singers in Ghana and The Fisk Jubilee Singers at Carnegie Hall in 2009.
"Lift Every Voice," the "Negro National Anthem"
Following in the tradition of uplift exemplified by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, James Weldon Johnson wrote the words to "Lift Every Voice and Sing." The song lyrics speak of uplift and hope for the future. The anthem was first performed in Jacksonville, Florida as part of a celebration of Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900. The first verse is the best-known:
Lift Every Voice
Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.
In singing that the earth and heaven would "ring with the harmonies of Liberty," African Americans could speak out against racism, Jim Crow laws, and lynching. In 1919, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) adopted the song as "The Negro National Anthem." By the 1920s, copies of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" could be found in black churches across the country, often pasted into the hymnals. In the 1970s, the song experienced a rebirth and was sometimes sung immediately after "The Star Spangled Banner" at public events where there was a significant African-American population.
Paul Robeson
In the 1930s, singer Paul Robeson was known for his political activism and his interpretation of traditional spirituals. Most of his concerts included one or more spirituals that were especially moving in light of the persistence of segregation and the prevalence of lynching in parts of the country.
Robeson often sang spirituals such as "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?" which spoke of freedom for everyone, referring to God setting Daniel free in the Old Testament.
Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
Deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
And why not every man?
He delivered Daniel from the lion's den
And Jonah from the belly of the whale
And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
Why not every man?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
Deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
And why not every man?
The moon runs down in a purple stream
And the sun refused to shine
And every star did disappear
Yes, freedom shall be mine
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
Deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
And why not every man?
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss this video of Robeson singing "No More Auction Block," which contains a number of revealing images of slavery and the slave trade. Some of these images are drawn from of the television production of Alex Haley's 1976 novel, Roots.
Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial
Marian Anderson was a famous contralto known for her many operatic roles but also for a groundbreaking performance at the Lincoln Memorial. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. The District of Columbia Board of Education denied a request to use the auditorium of a white public high school. In response, thousands of DAR members, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, resigned. The Roosevelts and others persuaded Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes to arrange for Anderson to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The concert, performed on Easter Sunday of 1939, attracted more than 75,000 people with a national radio audience of millions.
Activity for Teachers: Listen to a spiritual such as "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit," available on iTunes. Consider also this video on Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial singing "My Country 'Tis of Thee." Note the passion in her voice in the phrases "Land where my fathers died" and "Let freedom ring."
The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet
The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet was one of many male a cappella groups that gained popularity in the 1930s and 40s. They sang topical songs and gospel pieces. The vocal style of the Quartet foreshadowed the sounds of male groups that came out of Motown two decades later. The leader dominates, and the back-up chorus provides vocal commentary and rhythm.
Activity for Teachers: Watch the video of "Brother Moses Smote the Water" and discuss the lyrics, which are derived fro the story of the Exodus, as well as the vocal style, which hints at the styles of later groups, including some who rap. What connections can be drawn to modern music?
Brother Moses Smote The Water
Oooooooo
Brother Moses smote the water and the children all passed over.
Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away.
Cause Brother Moses (smote the water and the children all passed over)
Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away.
Chorus
Now brother ain't you glad you've passed that sinful army.
Sister ain't you glad that the sea's give away.
Cause Brother Moses (smote the water and the children all passed over)
Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away.
Well now God called Moses on the mountain top.
(Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away
And He stamped His laws into Moses Heart
(Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away)
Repeat Chorus
Well if you get to heaven before I do
(Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away
Well then look for me cause I'm coming too.
(Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away
Repeat Chorus
Cause Brother Moses (smote the water and the children all passed over)
Brother Moses smote the water and the seas give away.
Prison Songs
Starting in the 1930s, ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax traveled to the Deep South with a tape recorder, looking for examples of music that would give clues as to how music had sounded during slavery. He found this music in prisons, where inmates sang in a familiar call-and-response style with improvised verses and harmonies that emerged as new voices joined in.
Some of the songs recorded in the southern prisons told Old Testament stories, some were about the sacrifices of Jesus, and some simply commented on the backbreaking work in prison and on chain gangs, and the desire for a return to normal home life.
Activity for Teachers: Watch this video on prison music that was recorded in 1961 by Pete and Toshi Seeger. Discuss the relationship of prison music to music that later accompanied protests in the Civil Rights Movement.
The Struggle Continues
What is considered to be the modern Civil Rights Movement, which began in the 1950s, was intended to finally enact those Reconstruction amendments that formally ended slavery but failed to remove the "badge of inferiority"; established citizenship and equal protection under the law but did not provide for effective enforcement of equality; and provided that states could not deny the right to vote but made no guarantees that anyone's right to vote would be ensured or protected. Familiar images of the movement, particularly in the decades after World War II, included the protest marches that brought Americans face to face with injustice in demands for full citizenship, employment, and voting rights.
The marches and demonstrations that brought civil rights into American living rooms through nightly television coverage were the products of community organizing, mainly through local churches and church-related groups. It is no surprise, therefore, that many of the song of the Civil Rights Movement were adapted from spirituals. "I woke Up This Morning With My Mind Set on Freedom" was adapted from a traditional song, "Woke Up this Morning With My Mind Stayed on Jesus":
I Woke Up this Mornin'
Oh well I woke up this mornin' with my mind — set on Freedom.
Oh well I woke up this mornin' with my mind — set on Freedom.
Oh well I woke up this mornin' with my mind — set on Freedom.
Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu, Hallelu-u-u-yah!
One of the most important examples of church involvement came in 1955, when Alabama officials banned the NAACP for its supportive role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In response, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth helped organize the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) in Birmingham in order to fill the void. "They can outlaw an organization," Shuttlesworth said, "but they cannot outlaw the movement of a people determined to be free." The group's symbol, which included a cross, highlighted the dual religious and political focus of the organization.
The ACMHR organized demonstrations and boycotts to protest segregation in Birmingham's schools and businesses and filed lawsuits to overturn segregation laws. In its first three years, ACMHR members were harassed and attacked. The song and the slogan "We Shall Overcome" became symbolic of the spirit of the movement:
We Shall Overcome
We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through,
The Lord will see us through someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.
We're on to victory, We're on to victory,
We're on to victory someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We're on to victory someday.
We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We'll walk hand in hand someday.
We are not afraid, we are not afraid,
We are not afraid today;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.
The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free,
The truth shall make us free someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
The truth shall make us free someday.
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.
Sit Ins
Starting in February of 1960, students and activists began a new form of protest against all-purpose stores such as Woolworth's and Kress that would allow African Americans to purchase goods in the store but would not permit them to sit at the stores' lunch counters to purchase a meal or a cup of coffee. Participants in the sit-ins had to be willing to endure taunts and insults and the very real possibility of arrest and violence.
Activities for Teachers: Watch this video from a History Channel production on the history of the lunch counter sit ins:
Freedom Rides
To test the federal government's commitment to civil rights and call attention to the brutality faced by civil rights workers throughout the South, members of the Congress of Racial Equality boarded buses for long rides in several southern states. In 1960, the Supreme Court had ruled in Boynton v Virginia that segregation in bus and rail terminals that served interstate routes was unconstitutional. They were beaten, their buses were burned, and many were jailed. But throughout the Freedom Rides, participants sang to keep up their spirits and describe their ordeal.
This video, drawn from The America Experience, provides an overview of the prominent role of music in the Freedom Rides:
Activity for Teachers: After viewing The America Experience video, ask students to take a song they know and make up a new verse relating to the Freedom Rides.
The Albany Movement
In 1961 and 1962, the struggle for equality in Albany, Georgia faced significant obstacles. When major speakers like Dr. King would come to town, attendance at demonstrations would run high, but on King's departure, local Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee members had a difficult time keeping the momentum of the movement going.
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss two videos relating to the Albany Movement. The first of these two videos illustrates the passion of singers preparing for a demonstration. After listening to Dr. King's message in church, they are prepared to face Police Chief Laurie Pritchett, who was responsible for jailing hundreds of protesters in Albany and neighboring towns. Their song, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round," features the verse, "Ain't Gonna let Chief Pritchett Turn Me 'Round".
In the second video, the SNCC Freedom Singers perform "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" at the White House in 2009. Bernice Johnson Reagon exhorts audience to sing this song because "You never know when you'll need it."
Lilies of the Field
In the early 1960s, there were messages of freedom, equality, and mutual respect that reached the public effectively through the popular media in addition to news coverage of marches and demonstrations. In the popular 1963 film, Lilies of the Field, an itinerant African American worker helps a group of nuns to build their chapel. In the process, he and they develop and understanding of each other. The last scene of the film, during which Sidney Poitier's character sings the spiritual "Amen" with the nuns, shows him returning to his old life as he leaves the chapel and the nuns. This moment, along with the popular recording of "Amen" helped to bring the music of the movement into the popular consciousness.
Amen
Amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
Listen to my story
It's a story about my Jesus
Amen, amen, amen.
See the little baby
You know He's wrapped in a manger
Born Christmas morning
Amen amen, amen
See Him at the seashore
Talking to the fishermen
And He's making them disciples
Amen, amen, amen
Riding through Jerusalem
Waving palm branches
In pomp and splendor
See Him in the garden
Prayin to His Father
In deepest sorrow, sorrow
Amen, amen, amen
Led before Pilate
Then they crucified Him
But He rose on Easter
Amen, amen, amen
Hallelujah!
Yes, He died to save you and me
And He lives forever and ever
Amen, amen, amen
Glory hallelujah!
He died to save you and me
And He lives forever
Amen, amen, amen
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss this scene from "Lilies of the Field." How did the nuns and Sidney Poitier's character approach the song? What are some differing meanings of "amen" in this context?
Murder of Medgar Evers
The shooting of Medgar Evers by Byron de la Beckwith in June of 1963 inspired other NAACP activists to continue the struggle in spite of the dangers. The murder was national news, and Eric Weissberg's "Medgar Evers Lullaby" captured the sadness of the struggle.
Medgar Evers Lullaby
Bye bye my baby, I'll rock you to sleep,
Sing you a sad song, it might make you weep.
Your Daddy is dead and he'll never come back
And the reason they killed him, because he was black.
I'll tell you a story that you ought to know;
It happened in our town a short while ago.
Your Daddy was walking alone for some air
And a man in the bushes was waiting right there.
That man killed your Daddy and laughed while he died.
Your Daddy lay dying with tears in his eyes.
He cried for the things that a man leaves undone
And he cried for the dreams that he had for his son.
What will you do, son, when you are a man?
Will you learn to live lonely and hate all you can?
Will you try to be happy and try not to see
That all men are slaves 'til their brothers are free.
Activity for Teachers: Listen to and discuss Judy Collins's version of "Medgar Evers Lullaby." What does the voice of Medgar Evers wish to convey to his son?
Have students read and discuss Martin Luther King's Ten Commandments for the Non-Violent Civil Rights Movement. Ask students to consider how they might feel about continuing to practice non-violence in the face of the brutality faced by the freedom riders and activists like Medgar Evers.
In April 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. spelled out a radical strategy to change the culture of his time in his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Each participant in the Birmingham protests was required to abide by Dr. King's "Ten Commandments."
- Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
- Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation—not victory.
- Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
- Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.
- Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free.
- Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
- Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world.
- Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
- Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
- Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.
August 28, 1963 March on Washington
The March on Washington, organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, called attention not only to the brutality faced by civil rights demonstrators but also to the absence of meaningful civil rights legislation. On June 11, the day before the murder of Medgar Evers, President John F. Kennedy had called on Congress to pass a civil rights law to affirm that "race has no place in American life and laws." The march brought people from all parts of the country to Washington. They sang songs throughout the day that highlighted the call for freedom. One important part of Dr. King's famous speech harkened back to Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 when he preached on the text "Let Freedom Ring."
Activity for Teachers: Watch this video from "Eyes on the Prize" that describes the March on Washington and includes a number of freedom songs sung that day and the text, "Let Freedom Ring." Discuss how this text related to King's audience and to the broader struggle for civil rights.
Mississippi Freedom Summer—"Here's to the State of Mississippi"
Mississippi was in the news in 1964 for a host of reasons: the Freedom Schools that gave children a start on their education and their parents meaningful work, the voter registration drives, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and the murders of Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Chaney. Events in Mississippi underlined the entrenched nature of racism in the South. Conditions in other parts of the country may have been only marginally better, but Mississippi became a symbol of the challenges faced by those who demanded racial equality.
In response to events in Mississippi, Phil Ochs recorded "Here's to the State of Mississippi." On the album's liner notes, Ochs observed that the song probably would not make him very popular in the state.
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss this video of Phil Ochs singing "Here's to the State of Mississippi." (This is audio only.)
Mississippi Goddam
Jazz singer Nina Simone also responded to events in Mississippi with "Mississippi Goddam." The song includes many of the conventions of a popular show tune, but the lyrics are pure social commentary about the state of race relations in Mississippi.
Mississippi Goddam (1963)
The name of this tune is Mississippi Goddam
And I mean every word of it
Alabama's gotten me so upset
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam
Alabama's gotten me so upset
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam
Can't you see it
Can't you feel it
It's all in the air
I can't stand the pressure much longer
Somebody say a prayer
Alabama's gotten me so upset
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam
This is a show tune
But the show hasn't been written for it, yet
Hound dogs on my trail
School children sitting in jail
Black cat cross my path
I think every day's gonna be my last
Lord have mercy on this land of mine
We all gonna get it in due time
I don't belong here
I don't belong there
I've even stopped believing in prayer
Don't tell me
I tell you
Me and my people just about due
I've been there so I know
They keep on saying 'Go slow!'
But that's just the trouble
'do it slow'
Washing the windows
'do it slow'
Picking the cotton
'do it slow'
You're just plain rotten
'do it slow'
You're too damn lazy
'do it slow'
The thinking's crazy
'do it slow'
Where am I going
What am I doing
I don't know
I don't know
Just try to do your very best
Stand up be counted with all the rest
For everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam
I made you thought I was kiddin'
Picket lines
School boy cots
They try to say it's a communist plot
All I want is equality
for my sister my brother my people and me
Yes you lied to me all these years
You told me to wash and clean my ears
And talk real fine just like a lady
And you'd stop calling me Sister Sadie
Oh but this whole country is full of lies
You're all gonna die and die like flies
I don't trust you any more
You keep on saying 'Go slow!'
'Go slow!'
But that's just the trouble
'do it slow'
Desegregation
'do it slow'
Mass participation
'do it slow'
Reunification
'do it slow'
Do things gradually
'do it slow'
But bring more tragedy
'do it slow'
Why don't you see it
Why don't you feel it
I don't know
I don't know
You don't have to live next to me
Just give me my equality
Everybody knows about Mississippi
Everybody knows about Alabama
Everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam
That's it!
Activity for Teachers: Watch the video and discuss the lyrics of "Mississippi Goddam" and the images in this video.
Selma to Montgomery March, 1965
The march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama was another test of the resilience of non-violence. This video from Eyes on the Prize provides a brief portrait of the spirit of the movement, the strength and participation of the community, and the role of singing in providing inspiration and support in difficult times.
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss this video by Cole Boyz. This is a retrospective piece that uses the vehicle of hip hop style to pay homage to the civil rights struggle that was symbolized by the Selma to Montgomery March.
Watch this brief reaction by Congress Member John Lewis to Cole Boyz's "Bloody Sunday." Lewis reminds us that, without music, the civil rights movement would have been "like a bird without wings."
Top Forty Hit: "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud"
This song was composed in a funk style by James Brown in 1968. It became an instant hit and a staple of Brown's live performances. His lyrics address racism and the need for black empowerment. He proclaims that
We done made us a chance to do for ourself,
We're tired of beating our head against the wall
Workin' for someone else.
The song's call-and-response chorus is performed by a group of young children, who respond to Brown's command of "Say it loud" with "I'm black and I'm proud!" The lyrics "We've been 'buked and we've been scorned/We've been treated bad, talked about as sure as you're born" in the first verse of the song paraphrase the spiritual "I've Been 'Buked".
Several other Brown singles, including "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself)" articulated similar themes of black empowerment and self-reliance.
This song highlighted the shift from a focus on non-violence to a greater assertiveness in the civil rights movement. Pride, empowerment, and power were emerging themes in the movement and its music.
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss this tribute to James Brown that focuses on "Say It Loud." What do the images reveal about shifts in emphasis in the struggle for equality?
Black Power: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
Gil Scott-Heron expressed the frustration of any African Americans with the slow process of genuine equality, in spite of the passage of Civil Rights and Voting Rights legislation. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" offers a critique of consumer culture and a brief for direct action, power, and even violence.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.
There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.
Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.
There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.
The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.
Activity for Teachers: Watch and discuss this video that offers a variety of images from the life of composer/poet Gil Scott Heron to the background of "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" How do you think these images and the lyrics to the song help us to understand the tensions in the civil rights struggle in the early 1970?
A New Interpretation of "We Shall Overcome"
Activity for Teachers: A version of "We Shall Overcome" by Dr. Loco's Rockin' Jalapeno Band is available on iTunes. Listen to it without introduction and discuss how the message of "We Shall Overcome" can apply to various struggles for liberation and freedom.
Activity for Teachers: This video is a montage of photos of the civil rights movement accompanied by the music of Will-i-am of the Black Eyed Peas. It gives us a contemporary reflection on music during the era of civil rights.
