No Fear: Nina Simone

I tell you what freedom is to me: No fear. During an era where Police brutality, social injustices and mistreatment of African Americans were exceptionally high, a young woman used her voice for tranquility. That woman was Nina Simone and she became known as the voice of the Civil Rights Movement. She managed to turn something so horrendous into Music and used her platform to turn it into activism. Nina stood up for her beliefs and sacrificed her career with her involvement. Even in the twenty-first century these very things still exist, Racism still exists. Everyone may have their own interpretation of what freedom is and what it means to them. For Nina Simone, it was about making a difference, and doing it without being fearful. Musicians …show more content…
She got a job at a bar playing the piano, but no matter what genre she played she could not please the audience. She was told that she had to sing in order to keep her job, and that is how it began. She changed her name to Nina Simone so that her parents would not know what she was doing for a living. The audiences loved the dark skinned beauty with the deep baritone voice and honest lyrics. A few years later she became very successful, recording albums and singing for the likes of the rich, the poor and everyone in between. Nina became popular after the release of her song ‘I Loves you, Porgy’ and album ‘Little Girl Blue’. Her songs always had a heavy presence of her African-American culture and heritage. On one of her debut album Nina Simone in Concert (live recording, 1964), this was the first time she openly addressed the racial inequality that was rampant in the United States with the song "Mississippi Goddam". Although the song talks about oppression, it had a very upbeat and catchy tune. It was an instinctive response to the June 12, 1963, murder of Medgar Evers. It was a response to her outrage of the September 15, 1963, bombing of the 16th street Baptist Church in Alabama where four young black girls were killed and a fifth girl was left partially blind. The song was released as a single and was boycotted in certain southern states. She ridiculed …show more content…
Many activists in the African American communities gave their freedom and some even their lives for the sake of equality. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr on April 4, 1968, in Alabama was a devastating blow for Nina. She slipped into a deeper depression. Despite her speeches and powerful lyrics, she was disturbed about the standstill of equality and freedom. Her hopes became dreary. The song "Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)," was dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. Once again its lyrics left many open ended questions, her heart was heavy with confusion. “What will happen, now that the King is dead? We can all shed tears; it won't change a thing. Teach your people: Will they ever