How Did Marcus Garvey Influence The Civil Rights Movement
Jafari Walcott History of the Americas
6/9/23 Grace Church School
A Passion of Struggle:
Contrary to popular belief, the progression of Black music in America was not a linear struggle. It was a rough course of developments that took centuries of resistance and rebellion for the music to even be accepted in society. Even from the beginning, Africans had their musical pride stripped away, beginning with the institution of slavery. However, when they came to this nation, African Americans covertly preserved their musical traditions. They would combine their devout nature with the rhythms rooted in African music, which is responsible for the creation of the slave spiritual.
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Therefore, this tumultuous scene set the stage for Black music of resistance and hope that not only served as songs of protest but also a chronicle of the struggle. The songs emanated the ever-growing self-pride of African Americans and in a sort of cycle, the ideals of black nationalist thinkers like Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois fueled the movement, and in turn, Civil Rights protesters encouraged these thinkers to keep on going. Marcus Garvey’s “Back to Africa” movement and Du Bois’ revelations (such as the Niagara project and the NAACP) were the driving force of Black music during the Civil Rights era, and the music laid the soundtrack for the events of the movement. Some songs that defined the era include “We Shall Overcome”, which was originally a gospel song, “This Little Light of Mine” (also a gospel song), and “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday, which speaks volumes about lynchings in the South. Although the era of Civil Rights was a time of racial divide and consciousness, the revival of music was able to bridge people together regardless of their age, race, and opinions: “The folk and blues revival’s black/white, young/old, traditional/contemporary, and country/urban music contrasts were a direct link to the ‘justice and equality for all’ politics of the civil rights movement and the nation’s rapidly growing social consciousness led by Freedom Now 23 its youth.” (23, Sullivan). One of the demographics of this era most pivotal in change was the African American youth. For example, The Freedom Singers, a Black quartet stood out by combining a cappella singing with church-style music. Through their music, they were able to express their struggle and appeal to a much wider audience. At rallies and various other Civil Rights events, they would perform a song titled “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round”, which they base on a spiritual of a similar name (Don’t You Let
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