Challenging Racism
“Slave Spirituals”
After being removed from their country by white Europeans and shipped to America, individuals from Africa were forced to live a life of slavery until 1865, when this practice was outlawed. Though the enslaved men and women were restricted in their daily activities, they were allowed to gather for Christian church services. Here they learned hymns that they later transformed into songs of protest. These songs illustrated the arduous life of working in plantations, avowed faith in the future, and made fun of the slaves’ owners through coded lyrics. Slaves would sing these songs while working in the fields, allowing them to support one another. These songs also aided in the escape of many slaves and were used frequently to refer to the Under Ground Rail Road.
Click here for songs and their lyrics
Music Runs Ahead of Politics
Civil Rights Movement
Songs were commonly used by protesters during Civil Rights Movements, to fight issues of racism. Some historians have coined these songs as freedom songs. “Prior to the popularization of the Black Power slogan, in civil rights circles the ‘freedom song’ was an extremely effective weapon…” (Denisoff, 1970, pp. 818-819). Mr. Luther King Jr. benefited from methods similar to those employed centuries earlier by the African slaves. He transformed hymns into songs of protest. This proved to be very successful since the songs were already familiar to a large population of people. During many of his instigated “sit-ins” became “sing-ins,” as songs were added to their protest. They became a helpful means of communication between people and their leaders, and allowed the expression of black cultural identity. These protest songs evoke pressing situations and offer solutions.
They helped :
- Unify
- Offer the will to continue
- And create courage.
Popular Music
Jazz:
- Jazz was one of the first popular music genres to deracialize, by allowing black and white musicians to perform together.
Rock ‘n Roll:
Rock 'n Roll music also allowed musicians of different races to collaborate. During the 1920s and the 1940s many black performers were limited to “race record” labels. Elvis Presley was a key contributor in bringing the marginalized music styles and sounds of black musicians to the mainstream. |
Rap:
Rap music has gained popularity through the years and has become a prominent source of entertainment in our culture today. Many rappers use their songs to discuss the inequity of urban segregation. Coming from ghettos and impoverished areas; they are able to illustrate the hardships of racial oppression through a first hand account. |