Music and the Civil Rights Movement

Catalog description

The purpose of this course is to examine the southern civil rights movement (CRM) from 1954 to 1968. This course integrates discussion and analysis of the CRM with music. Music was very important to the Movement because it inspired both participants and supporters to continue the struggle until several victories were won. Emphasis in this course is on matching the music with a political event, ideology, and/or individual. This course includes discussion on the personal involvement in political and social activities by the singers and performers themselves. Tactics and strategies of the CRM are examined and their relationships to music are explored by relying on music with explicitly political lyrics and messages as well as those with lyrics and composition that convey spiritual and festive elements.