Music through the Eras of Abolition, Emancipation, Segregation, the Dream, and BLM
Across historical eras and music genres, music inspires us to resist
by Jacquelyn Meshelemiah and Keith Kilty
Music tells stories of connection, love, joy, and having a funky good time. At the other end of the spectrum, music sometimes expresses resistance to hate, racism, sexism, classism, and many different forms of oppression. Musical styles have shifted over the past 200 years of American history; songs of resistance have reflected the social ills of their times, telling the same story, but in different ways. Today, music enthusiasts must listen to the lyrics of songs, understanding their past messages and current meanings. This essay examines a musical performance that includes songs which have played a significant role in supporting civil rights movements, particularly those concerning Black individuals.
History
Throughout history, social movements have relied on music to inspire solidarity and resistance, to share stories, and to unite their members. Over time, musicians have used their art to support these movements because it is a powerful way to share or foster resilience in the oppressed, to communicate to the masses, and to engage in activism and resistance. For instance, the traditional African American spiritual “Wade in the Water” was a cryptic message to enslaved people in the South about traveling through water to throw off their scent during their escapes. The theme song of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, “We Shall Overcome,” assured Black folks that they should not be afraid because their long suffering would soon end. “Blowin’ in the Wind” was sung by many artists but made famous by Bob Dylan. The song decried the Vietnam War and became an anthem for the civil rights movement. This is fitting given that the song was birth out of a traditional African American song, “No More Auction”. “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival spotlighted the disparities between those forced to serve in Vietnam and those who didn’t because of their wealth and connections. These songs were performed or played during protest marches and gatherings throughout various civil rights movements, including the March on Washington in 1963.
The Performance
As dedicated music enthusiasts and scholar activists, we organized a performance in 2018 called “Music and Racial Justice: From Abolition to Black Lives Matter.” Our inspiration came from the memory of a dear friend, Dr. Alfred Joseph, a long-time scholar-activist fond of the music associated with social causes and movements. Our program centered on five eras: Slavery and Abolition, the Civil War, Jim Crow segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black Lives Matter. The carefully curated musical selections, performed live by a talented group of musicians (singers and bandmembers), gave the program life. Along with accompanying narration and vivid imagery, program participants condemned the history of racial injustices in the U.S.
Era 1 focused on Slavery and Abolition, particularly the 19th century before the American Civil War. In this era, musicians sang songs such as Let My People Go, Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, Wade in the Water and Amazing Grace. These songs reflected the demand for freedom, the agony that enslaved people experienced, safe passageways using rivers, and asking for God’s forgiveness for wrongdoings. Combined, the songs called out enslavers while recognizing the pain and suffering of enslaved people — all acts of resistance.
Era 2 focused on the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Performers sang “O Freedom” and “We Shall Not be Moved”. One last song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” illustrated how lyrics, as seen below, served as an escape route for enslaved persons.
The riverbank makes a mighty good road
The dead trees show you the way
Left foot, peg foot, traveling on
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Era 3 focused on the creation of a new kind of “slavery/involuntary servitude” through the establishment of Jim Crow segregation. This was an era where Black lives were constantly at risk because of White violence from terrorist groups such as the KKK as well as state-sanctioned authorities. Lynchings became common. Performers sang Parchman Farm, Jim Crow Blues, A Change Is Gonna Come, and Strange Fruit. Strange Fruit was written by a Jewish teacher from the Bronx in protest to the lynchings of two Black men in particular, Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, in Marion, Indiana. The poem famously sung by Billie Holiday in 1939 goes like this,
Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Era 4 focused on the continuing development of the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century, from the anti-lynching crusade led by Ida B. Wells to the 1963 Great March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. It is a period marked by the demand for freedom and jobs. Songs included Blowin’ in the Wind, We Shall Overcome, and People Get Ready. This last song, People Get Ready, was written by Curtis Mayfield in 1964 and served as a call for collectiveness among the people and the urgent need to get ready to do what it takes to set Black people free.
Era 5 focused on white resistance to progress for African Americans, leading to the Black Lives Matter movement. The iconic “Fight the Power” was sung along with “Wake Up Everybody”, “Rise Up” and “Glory”. Public Enemy’s impactful protect video from 1990, Fight the Power, serves as a compelling call for resistance, as demonstrated by its lyrics.
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be
Impact
Music is a vehicle of change used over historical eras and musical genres. It speaks to struggle and support. No matter the time in history, we are connected by and through THE struggle. As a testament to that connection and power of music in our musical program in 2018, audience members (young and old) in attendance expressed joy over the program. One audience member exclaimed, “I have never seen anything like this in my life!” Several others asked, “When will you offer this performance again?” Although the musical genre evolved over different eras, the enduring message consistently resonated with folks over generations.
Music has inspired us for generations and driven resistance and solidarity. Today’s generation continues this tradition. Continue to Resist! Fight! Sing! Unite.
Dr. Jacquelyn C.A. Meshelemiah is an expert in human trafficking and social work education/training. She is an associate professor at The Ohio State University and earned the BSSW, MSW, and PhD at Ohio State.
Dr. Keith Kilty’s work focuses on poverty and inequality, especially in relation to gender, race, and ethnicity. He was a co-founder of the Journal of Poverty and directed and produced Ain’t I a Person, a documentary about poverty and inequality in the U.S. He is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University.
