This new combined edition of We Shall Overcome and Freedom Is A Constant Struggle weaves together the leadsheets of 115 songs, 135 moving documentary photos, and stirring firsthand accounts. Grouped together in chapters on each of the key stages of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, they create a stunning vision of this critical moment in world history. Includes an introduction by the editors, Guy and Candie Carawan. Arranged chronologically, fully indexed.
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Guy and Candie Carawan, Civil Rights Activists from the movement, compile a collection of songs, quotes, snippets of stories, and photographs to shared Sing for Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs.
Singing was a critical part of the Civil Rights Movement. It brought people together, shared religious beliefs, calmed nerves, and spread the message of equality. This collection chronologically shares the songs sung by Civil Rights Activists and Protesters during sit-ins, marches, and jail time. I feel like this book offers a whole new perspective on the Civil Rights Movement.
Some of the songs are accompanied by musical scores, so readers could sing them or play them if they wanted. A few of the songs are adapted traditional religious hymns. Others were written by activists themselves in the moment.
Throughout the book, there are quotes and articles interspersed into each time frame. The quotes are a powerful aspect of the book. They give the songs a sense of time and place. Sometimes that means sitting in a jail cell, other times it's marching or participating in a sit-in. The quotes paired with the lyrics are a strong combination that will give readers a perspective that will help them understand how that song was utilized in the movement. Anyone who is interested in the power of music, history, or the Civil Rights Movement specifically should read this collection.
Rating: 3/5 Cups
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