Reed argument about why music was so imporant in the civil rights movement is based on facts, experience outcome and feedback.Music in the civil rights era was used as a cushion,comfort ,tool,communication,means of informing and entertainment.For Reed in singing ,fear is both indirectly acknowledge and directly challenged.One of these situations and song is on of the one too many occasions when a group of high school students were gsathered,the police charged in and forced the activist to sit in the dark while they harass them.Amid the terrified scene a girl began to sing to sing 'we shall over come," to thisday the song is a movement anthem.It is always an anthem at funerals .Singing away a bit of fear they asserts the strenght and vigour it takes to prepare to fight and die for freedom justise or whatever the cause. The power ,influence and admiration of we shall overcome transcends to all over the world and is adapted by different cultures such as the Chinese and Germans on ground breaking situations of significance.The song however, will always be home to and the center of the movement for black freedom and justice in the U.S.
Music is a grassroot hallmark of blacks it was and still is a conduit to convey messages.It was the tone and instrument for love and unity.It was a prized possesion.Music was the signature of civil rights issues some songs became anthems,for example "lift every voice and sing" also "we shall overcome" it helps to overcome the obtacles of of freedom.There were even concerts singing of course where proceeds were donated to civil rights issues.There were different styles and genre of music such as black baptist,gospel,folk with secular blues styles.Blacks who sang then knew that it helps to make them strong .Its effectiveness certainly helped significantly it was the conduit to effectuate change.It served as a good primer for their painful ,dertermin but necessary journey.
There was a so much message in the music,it was liberation,protest,refusal to bow,unity, adversity and determination.Music was used to advance the cause of civil rights, it was the mainstream of the movement,struggle against odds.it was meditation dream and memories.
Music is a product of an existing environment,the role of music today needs to be examin,does it even have a role?Are we influence by the music today? Yes we are but how? Thats certainly another paper or topic I could go on forever because it it not the same its abuse and taken for granted,poisons society contribution factor being the "freedom of speech" the freedom then and the freedom now it very much debatable.
Great post- you make an interesting point about how an anthem created in the context of one movement can be picked up by other groups engaged in other political struggles - with the topics you look at in more depth, one thing to think about is how it currculates, gest changed, resued and so on.
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