MLK Day Playlist: Columbia College Chicago Expert Reflects on Music of the Civil Rights Movement

A college choir sings gospel music in a church. A conductor with his back to the camera raises his arms.
Adjunct Professor of Instruction Amina Norman-Hawkins from Columbia College Chicago’s School of Audio and Music creates a playlist of songs important to the Civil Rights Movement in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Adjunct Professor of Instruction Amina Norman-Hawkins from the School of Audio and Music created a playlist of songs that define the American Civil Rights Movement.

Norman-Hawkins is a highly respected emcee, poet, and hip-hop practitioner who teaches Hip-Hop: A Sonic History and African American Music Survey. She is a founding faculty member of Columbia’s Hip-Hop Studies minor and co-founder of ‘ManiFresh’, a mini hip-hop festival within the annual Manifest Arts Festival.

14 Iconic Songs Tied to the Civil Rights Movement You Should Know:

 

“Original Faubus of Fables” - Charles Mingus 

This 1959 composition is considered one of Charles Mingus' most political because it is a protest song that directly challenges and criticizes Arkansas Governor, Orville Faubus, by name, for sending the National Guard to prevent the racial integration of Little Rock Central High School. Adding to the controversy was the idea that his record label at the time refused to allow the scathing lyrics to be included on the record, and instead, it was only released as an instrumental. The next year, Mingus would record the song as it was intended and release it on a different label, renaming it “Original Faubus of Fables.” Part of the chorus reads:

“Name me someone who's ridiculous, Dannie
Governor Faubus!
Why is he so sick and ridiculous?
He won't permit us in his schools!
Then he's a fool!
Oh, boo!”

“We Shall Overcome” - Adopted from Rev Charles Albert Tinsley’s original song “I’ll Overcome Someday,” revised over the years by Zilphia Horton, Guy Carawan, Frank Hamilton, and Pete Seeger

Reverend Charles Albert Tindley's 1901 song “I'll Overcome Someday" would be adopted and transformed into the protest song “We Shall Overcome” in the 1940s. It would later become popularized by folk artists and activists like Peter Seeger and Joan Baez, turning it into an Anthem for the Civil Rights movement. When Dr. King heard the song at a Seeger performance, he was so moved by the lyrics that he would often incorporate the phrase “We shall overcome” into his speeches and sermons. In one of his public final addresses, Dr. King affirms:

“So however dark it is, however deep the angry feelings and the violent explosions are, I can still sing “We Shall Overcome.”
We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
We shall overcome because Carlyle is right: “No lie can live forever.”
We shall overcome because William Cullen Bryant is right: “Truth, crushed to earth, will rise again.”
We shall overcome because James Russell Lowell is right as we were singing earlier today: Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne. Yet that scaffold sways the future. And behind the dim unknown standeth God Within the shadow keeping watch above his own.”

“Say it Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud” - James Brown

As a direct response to the assassination of Dr. King in 1968, James Brown released “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud”. The song echoed a collective frustration with the unjust treatment of African Americans and called for unity, resistance, and resilience. The 1960s marked a pivotal time in racial and social politics in America, and the song was intended to empower, uplift, and foster a sense of pride and identity among African Americans, a term not widely adopted until the 1980s. Brown’s choice to affirm being both Black and PROUD was a bold denunciation of the term Negro, and an audacious proclamation that their spirit would not be broken. Though he dropped out of school before his teen years, Brown deeply valued education and created several initiatives encouraging teens to stay in school. He offered scholarships to those in need, and even released a song entitled “Don't Be a Dropout,” where he warns:

“Without an education
You might as well be dead
Gotta, gotta, gotta listen now now
What he said
Without an education
You might as well be dead”

“Happy Birthday” - Stevie Wonder

Affectionately dubbed the “Black Birthday Song”, Stevie Wonder’s classic is not just a cultural favorite but also stands as a symbol of his work as an artist and social activist. In 1968, soon after King’s assassination, Rep. John Conyers introduced a bill to create a holiday honoring Dr. King’s life andlegacy. Efforts to develop the holiday continued for decades. In 1981, Stevie Wonder, a staunch supporter of honoring Dr. King’s work, organized the “Rally for Peace Press Conference” at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to further champion the observance. He also wrote and recorded this song to both draw attention to the idea of a King holiday and to shame officials who rejected it. The first few lines sum up his sentiment at the time:

“You know it doesn't make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration…”

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan finally signed the bill into law, and the first King Day took place on January 20, 1986. In 1994, President Clinton strengthened the cause by signing the King Holiday and Service Act, recognizing Martin Luther King Day as a national day of volunteer service.

“Fight the Power” - Public Enemy

Because rap and Hip-Hop culture developed as a response to injustice, marginalization, and the need to create a voice for the voiceless, one might be hard-pressed to find any rap song that does not address the lived experiences and harsh realities of inequity. However, Public Enemy’s 1989 song “Fight the Power” has stood the test of time as one of Hip-Hop’s most influential social justice anthems. In true P.E. form, with no traditional melody or rhythmic patterns, the song's in-your-face, unapologetic lyrics address systemic racism and oppression in a quick, frank manner. Urging listeners to resist unjust systems that perpetuate inequality, “Fight the Power” serves as a rallying cry for Black pride and empowerment. The self-assertive lyrics call for listeners to recognize racial disparities and reject watered-down narratives of social issues, suggesting true equality isn't achieved by ignoring differences, but by fighting against the systems that create them.

“Glory” - Common and John Legend

This multi-award-winning theme song was featured in the movie “Selma” (2014). Directed by Ava Duvernay, and depicting incidents and activities around the 1965 Selma to Alabama voting rights marches, it brings together two prominent African American artists: Chicago’s very own Common and frequent collaborator John Legend. The song draws parallels between the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, referencing Ferguson and the ongoing struggles for justice and equity for African Americans. The song was co-written by Common, Legend, and another notable Chicagoan and frequent collaborator, Che “Rhymefest” Smith (a current elected representative of the Chicago School Board of Education). The title “Glory” might have been inspired by the last words from Dr King’s final public address the day before he was killed, in a speech entitled, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, which closes with the foreshadowing lines:

“And so I'm happy tonight.
I'm not worried about anything.
I'm not fearing any man!
Mine eyes have seen the GLORY of the coming of the Lord!!” 

Additional Mentions

“A Change Gon Come” - Sam Cooke (1964). Inspired by his own lived experiences, and in particular, a notable event where he and his wife were denied access to a motel because it was denoted as a “whites-only” motel.

“Everyday People” - Sly & The Family Stone (1968) This cross-cultural anthem encourages unity, equity, and peace among all people. It celebrates diversity and racial harmony.

“I'll Take You There” - Staple Singers (1972) A soulful, idealistic, gospel-inspired, R&B song about journeying to a mythical place where no one ever needs to worry, cry, or suffer.

“Get Up, Stand Up” - Bob Marley (1973) The song encourages people to rise against oppression, remain resilient through tribulation, and maintain the fight for human rights.

“Strange Fruit” - Billie Holiday (1939) When Dr King was about 10 years old, Billie Holiday released this song about the inhumane and gruesome practice of lynching in the southern United States. The strange fruit is a metaphor for the victims.

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” - Gil Scott Heron (1971) An ode and response to The Last Poet’s "When the Revolution Comes" that begins with the line: "When the revolution comes some of us will probably catch it on TV"

“Keep Your Head Up” - Tupac (1993) A celebration of women and the positive cultural influence his mother had on his life. He encourages women to stay positive, motivated, and empowered. It’s filled with hope and optimism for the future.

“Alright” - Kendrick Lamar (2015) This song became a part of the soundtrack to BLM and serves as an uplifting reminder that a brighter day is ahead, despite current challenges.

Listen to the full playlist

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