Music played an essential role in uplifting, motivating, and uniting people during the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and '60s. In honor of Black History Month, hosts Jim and Greg explore the powerful music of the Civil Rights Movement, from Mahalia Jackson to Curtis Mayfield and beyond.
When you think about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, perhaps the powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. or the horrific images of Emmett Till come to mind. But, for Jim and Greg, the music equally lingers. Songs by Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke and more captured the mood and inspired action. Here are some that continue to resonate:
"Driva Man" by Max Roach & Oscar Brown Jr. featuring Abbey Lincoln, 1960
"How I Got Over" performed by Mahalia Jackson at the March on Washington, 1963
"In the Mississippi River" by the Freedom Singers, 1965
"Mississippi Goddamn" performed by Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall, 1964
"A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke, 1964
"Keep On Pushing" by The Impressions, 1964
"Freedom Highway" by The Staple Singers, 1965
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" performed by Kim Weston at Wattstax, 1972
Featured Songs
Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream – March for Jobs – Washington, August 28, 1963," Speeches by Martin Luther King: The Ultimate Collection, BN Publishing, 2010
Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, "When the Ship Comes In," live performance at the March on Washington, N/A, 1963
Mahalia Jackson, "How I Got Over," live performance at the March on Washington, N/A, 1963
Charles Mingus, "Fables of Faubus," Mingus Ah Um, Columbia, 1959
Max Roach ft. Abbey Lincoln, "Driva Man," We Insist!, Candid, 1960
The Freedom Singers, "In the Mississippi River," Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1997
Mahalia Jackson, "We Shall Overcome," Let Freedom Sing! Music of the Civil Rights Movement, Time Life Entertainment, 2009
Odetta, "Spiritual Triology," Odetta Sings Ballads and Blue, Tradition, 1965
Nina Simone, "Mississippi Goddamn," In Concert, Philips, 1964
Grant Green, "The Selma March," His Majesty King Funk, Verve, 1965
Bob Dylan, "Blowin' in the Wind," The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Columbia, 1963
Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come," Ain't That Good News, RCA Victor, 1964
Sam Cooke, "This Little Light of Mine," Sam Cooke At the Copa (Live), ABKCO Music & Records, Inc., 2003
Little Milton, "We're Gonna Make It," We're Gonna Make It, Checker, 1965
The Impressions, "Keep On Pushing," Keep On Pushing, ABC-Paramount, 1964
Martin Luther King Jr., "Address Concluding the Selma to Montgomery - March 25, 1965," Speeches by Martin Luther King: The Ultimate Collection, BN Publishing, 2010
The Staple Singers, "Freedom Highway," Freedom Highway, Legacy/Columbia, 2004
Kim Weston, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," Wattstax: Music From The Wattstax Festival & Film, Stax, 1972
The Temptations, "Message From a Black Man," Puzzle People, Gordy, 1969
Barbra Streisand, "Calling You," The Movie Album, Columbia, 2003
Los Lobos (covering Neil Young), "Cinnamon Girl," Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Reprise, 1969
Los Lobos, "La Pistola y El Corazón (Live Acoustic)," La Pistola y El Corazón, Slash/WB, 1988
Los Lobs, "When the Circus Comes," Kiko, Slash, 1992
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