Songs of the civil rights movement ‘The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle. They give the people new courage and a sense of unity. I think they keep alive a faith, a radiant hope, in the future, particularly in our most trying hours.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lift Every Voice and Sing Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of liberty; Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won. Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet, Come to the place for which our fathers died We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered; Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee. Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee. Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land Originally written as a poem in 1905, later became a song. Called “The Black National Anthem”.

Oh, Freedom Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in a my grave And go home to my Lord and be free No more mourning, no more mourning, no more mourning over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in a my grave And go home to my Lord and be free No more crying, no more crying, no more crying over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in a my grave And go home to my Lord and be free Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in a my grave And go home to my Lord and be free There'll be singin', there'll be singin', there'll be singin' over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in a my grave And go home to my Lord and be free Oh freedom, oh freedom, oh freedom over me And before I'd be a slave I'll be buried in a my grave And go home to my Lord and be free First recorded 1931. Dates to post-Civil War era….connects civil rights struggle explicitly to the time of slavery.

We Shall Overcome We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We shall overcome someday. The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We shall overcome someday. We're on to victory, We're on to victory, We're on to victory someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We're on to victory someday. We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand, We'll walk hand in hand someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We'll walk hand in hand someday. We are not afraid, we are not afraid, We are not afraid today; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We are not afraid today. The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free, The truth shall make us free someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, The truth shall make us free someday. We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace, We shall live in peace someday; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, We shall live in peace someday. Introduced to movement by Pete Seeger, many different lyrics over time. Became the song most identified with the movement.