Aug 28 2013
The Music of the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement
A crucial aspect of the March on Washington in 1963, and the civil rights movement in general, was the music of the movement. Artists from all over the country, black and white, expressed themselves through music. African American spirituals in particular, formed the basis for many popular folks songs of the time, calling for freedom and racial equality.
Today on this 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom, we delve into the Pacifica Radio Archives to hear some of the music from the march, both among activists marching in the huge crowds that showed up, and among the musicians who took to the stage, like Marian Anderson, Odetta, and Joan Baez.
A 2010 documentary called Soundtrack for a Revolution explored the music of the civil rights movement through original footage and new recordings of the songs of that time by contemporary artists. We turn next to a clip from Soundtrack for a Revolution about the 1963 March on Washington.
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