How Did Music Affect The Civil Rights Movement

Prior to the 1900s music was reserved to concert halls and live performances. After the turn of the century, technological advancements augmented the prevalence of music in everyday life. As music became more widespread, song lyrics began to reach further into the social sphere and affect society. Song lyrics became a call to action. In the last century alone song lyrics sent men to war, sponsored aid to hurting nations, and gave hope to a march for freedom.
“We Shall Overcome” played a key part during the Civil Rights movement, and without those lyrics many people may not have heard the call to march. The lyrics to "We Shall Overcome" were based on a hymn sung by slaves in the field, which paralleled the struggle African-American protesters faced. Slaves wanted emancipation, and their descendants wanted the equality they were promised through that emancipation. The lyrics to “We Shall Overcome” exemplified this because they proclaimed that the protesters wanted to overcome the obstacle of segregation. Protesters sung this song to rally themselves for the cause; the lyrics fueling their beliefs of a better tomorrow. In mirroring their views of a better tomorrow, the lyrics to “We Shall Overcome” spurred protesters to action. …show more content…
The lyrics to the song focus on the fact that people are capable of helping others, and encouraged people to donate by saying that famine is everyone’s problem as they are one with those struggling. The lyrics encouraged a sense of global unity, and the message was heard as people donated millions toward relief efforts to help those affected. By encouraging a sense of global unity, the lyrics to “We Are the World” moved those more privileged in this world to help those less