Music has always been a powerful medium in today's media and entertainment world. It can inspire, move and rally. I believe that the reason why music has always been so influential is because it has the ability to convey the feelings and the message of the singers to a wide audience in a way that news coverage and politics cannot. It can stir up different feelings in different people, encouraging multiple interpretations; however, the fact remains that if there is a message in a song, it is sure to be heard. If it is heard, there is sure to be people who will act.
This seems to be very fitting for songs during the Civil Rights Movement. Along with influential speakers such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X, songs with the same sentiment helped to spread the ideals of equality for all men, black and white alike. Jazz and Blues, genres made famous by African American artists, were popular because of its sound. It resonated with people because of its emotion.
"Jazz speaks for life. The blues tell the story of life's difficulties — and, if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music."-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Opening of the Berlin Jazz Festival
The songs of the Civil Rights Movement were exactly this. They represent not only the hardships, setbacks and failures, but the hard-earned successes that Civil Rights protesters had fought for.
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