The
following is a list of selected resources compiled by the staff of
the Flint Public Library.
If you
do not live in the Flint area, visit your local library for resources about
the civil rights movement and protest music.
Resources for Adults | Resources for Children | Internet Resources
Books | Sheet
Music | CDs | Videos/DVDs
Books
Everybody
Says Freedom: A History of the Civil Rights Movement in Songs and
Pictures by
Pete Seeger and Bob Reiser
New
York: Norton, 1989.
[Non-Fiction 784.68 Se]
Focuses on the civil rights movement, its leaders and the songs that inspired
them.
Freedom
is a Constant Struggle
edited by Susie Erenrich
Montgomery, AL: Black Belt Press, 1999.
[Black Life 323.4 Fr]
This collection of articles, songs, poetry, photographs, testimonials, visual
artwork and memorabilia is one of the most comprehensive books ever published
on the Civil Rights Movement.
If
You Don’t Go, Don’t Hinder Me
By Bernice Johnson Reagon
Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2001.
[Black Life 782.2 Re]
Uses song lyrics and the history of the music and its composers, including
Charles Albert Tindley and Thomas Andrew Dorsey, to put into context the spirit
of African American oral tradition and the evolution of gospel music.
We
Shall Overcome
by Herb Boyd and others
Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 2004.
[Non-Fiction 323.4 Bo and CDW 323.4 Bo]
A journalistic overview of the major events and people of the civil rights
movement, with accompanying CDs containing protest music, famous speeches and
commentary.
We
Who Believe in Freedom
By Bernice Johnson Reagon and Sweet Honey in the Rock
New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
[Non-Fiction 780.92 Re]
This book celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Grammy Award-winning a cappella
group Sweet Honey in the Rock. While music is one constant of this story, freedom
is another.
We’ll
Understand It Better By and By: Pioneering African American Gospel
Composers
by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992.
[Black Life 784.756 We]
A superb collection of essays about major figures in black gospel music, including
Charles A. Tindley, Lucie Campbell Williams, Thomas A. Dorsey, William H. Brewster
Sr., Roberta Martin and Kenneth Morris.
Sheet Music
Carry
It On: A History in Song of Working Men and Women
by Pete Seeger and Bob Reiser
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985.
[Circulating Sheet Music 784.68 Se]
Has numerous songs of work and protest grouped by historical periods. Each
historical section has information about the people who sang and the reasons
why they sang the songs.
Compositions:
One
by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Washington D.C.: Songtalk, 1986.
[Reference 784.756 Re]
This unique book includes 35 original arrangements and compositions by Bernice
Johnson Reagon. Many songs are written about or dedicated to pioneers of the
Civil Rights Movement. Each song is preceded by an explanation of its meaning
or significance.
Continuum:
The First Songbook of Sweet Honey in the Rock
Southwest Harbor, ME: [Milwaukee, WI] Contemporary A Cappella Pub.; Exclusively
Distributed by Hal Leonard Corp., 1999.
[Circulating Sheet Music 783.9 Co]
Includes the music for 20 of their songs, arranged for SATB. There are original
compositions by each of the group’s members, as well as arrangements
of traditional songs.
Expressions
of Freedom: An Anthology of African-American Spirituals
by René Boyer-Alexander
Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corp., 2001
[Circulating Sheet Music 783.9 Ex]
This collection of spirituals will enrich and uplift both children and adults
in classrooms, choirs, community gatherings and churches. It includes arrangements
of over 55 songs, historical background, suggested program uses and cultural
connections.
Songs
of Peace, Freedom and Protest
by Tom Glazer
New York: D. McKay Co., 1970.
[Circulating Sheet Music 784.68 Gl]
Over 150 songs make up this collection of famous folk songs and protest songs.
Music, guitar accompaniment, lyrics and historical information are included
for each song.
Songs
of Work and Protest
by Edith Fowke and Joe Glazer
New York: Dover Publications, 1973.
[Circulating Sheet Music 784.68 Fo]
This book contains information, explanations, music and lyrics for 100 different
protest songs, including labor songs, slave songs and songs of revolution.
CDs
Sweet
Honey in the Rock
Sweet Honey in the Rock (1976) [Adult
CDs 782.25 SweeSw]
The Other Side (1986) [Adult CDs 782.25
SweeO]
Live at Carnegie Hall (1988) [Adult
CDs 782.25 SweeL]
All for Freedom (1989) [Adult CDs 782.25
SweeA]
Breaths (1989) [Adult CDs 782.25 SweeBr]
Feel Something Drawing Me On (1989)
[Adult CDs 782.25 SweeF]
In This Land (1992) [Adult CDs 782.25
SweeI]
I Got Shoes (1992) [Children’s
Dept. CDs 782.25 SweeIg]
Still on the Journey (1993) [Adult CDs
782.25 SweeS]
Sacred Ground (1995) [Adult CDs 782.25
SweeSa]
Selections 1976 – 1988 [Adult
CDs 782.25 SweeSe]
… Twenty-Five… (1998) [Adult
CDs 782.25 SweeTw]
Still the Same Me (2000) [Children’s
Dept. CDs 782.42 SwS]
The Women Gather (2003) [Adult CDs 782.25
SweeW]
Protest Songs from the American Civil Rights Movement
Freedom
Song: Original Soundtrack
New York: Sony Classical/Sony Music Soundtrax, 2000.
[Adult Cds 782.25 SweeFr]
This soundtrack from the TV movie about Mississippi grassroots activists features
songs performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock.
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Singers (1963). From left: Charles Neblett, Rutha Mae Harris, Bernice Johnson (Reagon) and Cordell Hull Reagon. Photo by Joe Alper.
Movement
Soul: Sounds of the Freedom Movement in the South, 1964-1964
Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1979-1980.
[Oversize Adult CDs 781.63 LestW]
A collection of live recordings from the Civil Rights movement at a peak time
from 1963 and 1964. Inspired moments have been chosen from mass meetings, sermons,
rallies, demonstrations and individual interviews.
Peace – Back
By Popular Demand
by Keb’ Mo’
New York: Epic, 2004.
[Adult CDs 781.643 KebP]
Keb’ Mo’ covers nine classic protest and peace songs from the 1960s
and ‘70s.
Sing
for Freedom: Civil Rights Movement Songs
Washington, D.C.: Cambridge, Mass: Smithsonian/Folkways Records; Distributed
by Roundup Records, 1990, 1992.
[Adult CDs 781.63 SingF]
Over 25 songs and speeches from the American civil rights movement are included
on this CD.
Voices
of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966
Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Folkways, 1997.
[Oversize Adult CDs 781.63 VoiC]
43
original recordings by the SNCC Freedom Singers provide a musical history
of the American Civil Rights Movement.
Protest Songs from Other Countries and Cultures
Amandla!
A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
New York: ATO Records: BMG, 2003.
[Adult CDs 781.62 AfAm]
Includes protest songs, chants and spoken word from the South African Anti-Apartheid
movement.
The
Promised Land: American Indian Songs of Lament and Protest
by Periwinkle
Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Folkways, 1981.
[Oversize Adult CDs 781.62 InPeP]
Contains 14 powerful songs of sorrow and dissent that communicate the often
ignored plight of Native Americans in North America.
Protest:
Songs of Struggle and Resistance from Around the World
Boston: Ellipsis Arts, 2004.
[781.63 ProtS]
Protest songs from around the world and throughout history are included on
this CD.
Sarafina!:
The Music of Liberation
New York: RCA Victor, 1988.
[Adult CDs 782.14 NG576 McSC]
The music from the Broadway show of the same title about the struggle for equality
in South Africa.
DVDs/Videos
Amandla!
A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
Santa Monica, CA: Artisan Home Entertainment, 2002.
[DVDs 781.62]
Tells the story of black South African freedom music and the central role it
played against apartheid. Includes interviews with musicians, freedom fighters,
and even members of the former government police.
Freedom
Song
Burbank, CA: TNT Original: Warner Home Video, 2000
[Videos Fiction/Freedom]
A group of people from a small town in Mississippi risk their lives for equality
and civil rights. Based on a true story.
The Songs Are Free
New York: Mystic Fire Video, 1991
[Videos 784.756 So]
Traces the history of communal singing and the repertoire rooted in the Black
church - from songs of resistance, courage, and pride to songs of determination
and faith - and explores their roles from the Underground Railroad through
the Civil Rights movement and into the present.
We
Shall Overcome
Beverly Hills, CA: PBS Home Video; Pacific Arts Video, 1990.
[Videos 323.4 We]
Traces the transformation of “We Shall Overcome” from a slave song
to the anthem of the civil rights movement, while showing its effects on human
rights movements all over the world. Features personal accounts and historical
film footage.
Fiction
The
Bus Ride
by William Miller
New York: Lee & Low Books, 1998.
[E/ Miller]
A black child protests an unjust law in this story loosely based on the life
of Rosa Parks.
Follow the Leader
by Vicki Winslow
New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1998.
[J/ Winslow]
In 1971, in a small North Carolina town, 11-year-old Amanda must deal with being
bussed to a newly integrated, school that was formerly all black and being separated
from her best friend who chooses to attend private school
Freedom
on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
by Carole Boston Weatherford
New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2004.
[E/Westherford]
A portrait of the 1960 Civil Rights Sit-Ins at the Woolworth’s lunch
counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, as witnessed by a young girl.
Iggie’s
House
by Judy Blume
New York: Dell Publishing, 1986.
[J/ Blume]
When a black family with three children moves into their white neighborhood,
Winnie learns the difference between being a good neighbor and being a good
friend.
The
Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues
by Walter Dean Myers
New York: Scholastic, 2001.
[J/ Myers]
Teenager Biddy Owens’ 1948 journal is about working for the Birmingham
Black Barons and describes the games the players, and the racism faced by the
team as they traveled.
The
Other Side
by Jacqueline Woodson
New York: Putnam, 2001
[E/ Woods]
Two girls, one white and one black, gradually get to know each other as they
sit on the fence that divides their town.
The Red Rose Box
by Brenda Woods
New York: Putnam, 2002
[J/ Woods]
In 1953, Leah Hopper dreams of leaving the poverty and segregation of her home
in Sulphur, Louisiana, and when Aunt Olivia sends train tickets to Los Angeles
as part of her tenth birthday present, she gets a first taste of freedom.
A
Sweet Smell of Roses
by Angela Johnson
New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005.
[E/ Johnson]
A tribute to the children and young adults who bravely marched with adults
to protest segregation and fight for equal rights in the fifties and sixties.
White
Socks Only
by Evelyn Coleman
Morton Grove, IL: A Whitman, 1996
[E/ Coleman]
Grandma tells the story about her first trip alone into town during the days
of blatant segregation in Mississippi.
Non-Fiction
The
1963 March on Washington: Speeches and Songs for Civil Rights
by Jake Miller
New York: PowerKids Press, 2004.
[J 323.4/Mi]
A review of the events and persons who worked together to create the 1963 March
on Washington.
Brown
V. Board of Education of Topeka : Challenging School Segregation
in the Supreme Court by Jake Miller
New York: PowerKids Press, 2004.
[J 371.97/Mi]
A look at the conditions that forced Oliver Brown to file a desegregation suit
against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas to ensure equal rights and
a good education for his daughter.
The
Civil Rights Movement – Journey to Freedom
by Rose Venable
Chanhassen, MN: Child’s World, 2002.
[J 323.4/Ve]
Reviews the major events that occurred as African Americans fought for equal
rights in the Civil Rights Movement.
The
Little Rock Nine: Young Champions for School Integration
by Jake Miller
New York: PowerKids Press, 2004.
[J 371.97/Mi]
Describes how nine black students faced an angry mob as they integrated Little
Rock, Arkansas’ Central High School.
The
March From Selma to Montgomery: African Americans Demand the Vote
by Jake Miller
New York: PowerKids Press, 2004.
[J 323.4/Mi]
Closely examines the issues revolving around the efforts at voter registration
and the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.
Oh,
Freedom! : Kids Talk About the Civil Rights Movement With the People
Who Made It Happen by Casey King and Linda Barret Osborne
New York: A.A. Knopf, 1997.
[J 323.4/Ki]
Interviews with young people and people who took part in the civil rights movement
are accompanied by essays that describe the history of efforts to make equality
a reality for African Americans.
Let
It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
San Diego: Harcourt, 2000.
[J 920/Pi]
Shares the personal stories of ten African American women freedom fighters
and describes the challenges and triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement that
spanned American history from the eighteenth century to the present day.
Powerful
Words: More than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans
collected by Wade Hudson
New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2004.
[J 808.5/Hu]
This collection of writings shares many African Americans’ ideas that
illustrate important information about the world they lived in -- and in many
cases, how they tried to change it.
Songs
of Protest and Civil Right
by Jerry Silverman
New York: Chelsea House, 1992.
[J 784.756/Si]
An illustrated song book of the music sung during the Civil Rights Protests
of the 1960’s
Tell
All the Children Our Story: Memories and Mementos of Being Young
and Black in America by Tonya Bolden
New York: Abrams, 2001.
[J 920 /Bo]
Using photos, pictures and personal statements, this book examines the lives
of young African American children through several historical periods in the
United States.
We
Shall Overcome: The History of the American Civil Rights Movement
by Reggie Finlayson
Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co., 2003.
[J 323.4/FI]
A discussion about the U.S. Civil Rights Movement is framed by the words of
spirituals and other music of the era.
Witnesses
to Freedom: Young People who fought for Civil Rights
by Belinda Rochelle
New York: Lodestar Books, 1993.
[J 324.4/Ro]
Describes the experiences of young African Americans who were involved in significant
events in the civil rights movement.
Collected Biographies
Afro-Bets
Book of Black Heroes from A to Z
by Wade Hudson and Valerie Wilson Wesley
Orange, NJ: Just Us Books, 1988.
[J 920/ Hu]
Offers brief biographical information about many famous African American personalities.
Follow
in Their Footsteps: Biographies of Ten Outstanding African Americans
by Glennette Tilley Turner
New York: Puffin Books, 1999.
[J 920/ Tu]
Here are the stories of ten outstanding African Americans who achieved success
and made lasting contributions in many fields.
They
Had a Dream: The Civil Rights Struggle from Frederick Douglass to
Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King to Malcolm X by
Jules Archer
New York. Viking, 1993.
[J 920/Ar]
This look at the Civil Rights Movement and these four Civil Rights leaders
illustrates the fight for equality and how American society has evolved to
accommodate many changes.
Take
a Walk in Their Shoes
by Glennette Tilley Turner
New York: Cobblehill Books, 1989.
[J 920/ Tu]
Here are biographies of fourteen African Americans who achieved success despite
the odds against them.
Women
of Hope: African Americans who Made a Difference
by Joyce Hansen
New York: Scholastic, 1998.
[J 920/ Ha]
Here, spanning over a century, are thirteen extraordinary African American
women who forged new paths and helped to make our world a better place.
INTERNET RESOURCES
Protest songs
Freedom
and protest songs of the United States
http://www.sbgmusic.com/html/teacher/reference/historical/freedom.html
This site, designed for kids, gives a brief overview of protest songs in the
United States, including the Civil Rights Movement.
Lift
Every Voice and Sing: Protest Songs
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/speccol/exhibits/music/protest.html
The University of Virginia Library presents a variety of songs (lyrics & sheet
music) that were sung during periods of social unrest in the United States.
Strange
Fruit: Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/strangefruit/protest.html
Presents Protest Songs from throughout United States history including the
Civil Rights Movement with photos, audio clips and lyrics. Sponsored by the
PBS program “Independent Lens.”
Civil Rights Movement
Civil
Rights Movement: A Photographic History 1954 - 1968
http://www.abbeville.com/civilrights/
Based on the book of the same title by Steve Kahser, this page offers both
text and photographs about significant events in the Civil Rights Movement.
Voices
of Civil Rights
http://www.voicesofcivilrights.org
This site collects and preserves "personal accounts of America's struggle
to fulfill the promise of equality for all." Listen to someone’s
story or submit your own.
Way
Back – Stand Up For Your Rights
http://pbskids.org/wayback/civilrights/
Especially for kids, this site features the history of civil rights in America
from religious freedom to racial desegregation to women and the vote. Includes
a site dedicated to the Little Rock Nine.
We
Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/
Gives an overview of the Civil Rights Movement through the places where significant
events occurred. Contains photographs, an interactive map and an excellent
list of resources.
Web page designed by: Mercedea Shriver
For more
information about this project, please contact Leslie Acevedo at (810)
249-2046 or lacevedo
fpl.info
For more information
about Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, please contact the Jodi
Solomon Speakers Bureau at
(617) 266-3450 or jodijodisolomon.biz
or go to Dr. Bernice Johnson
Reagon's web pages.
Copyright Flint Public Library. All rights reserved.
Updated
11/18/08
Contact: askus 
fpl.info
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