The American civil rights movement sought equal treatment for African Americans and desegregation in the southern parts of America. The church played a paramount role in the American civil rights movement and with it came church songs that became synonymous with the movement. One of the most notable songs was ‘Oh Freedom’.
“Oh, Freedom” is a song that was first sung in the 1860s when despite the proclamation of emancipation, African Americans were still denied fundamental equity, especially in the southern states. The song re-emerged during the 1950s and 1960s during the American civil rights movement. It describes real freedom from oppressions of slavery in a quite literal way: “and before I be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave” (YouTube). It goes further to demonstrate a yearning for a place where there is no more oppression and suffering: “and go home to my Lord and be free” (YouTube). The song equates real freedom to a spiritual heaven, where all the burdens and struggles faced on earth are non-existent. The use of this song in the 1950s civil rights movement was deliberate, as it was used by civil rights activists to show that the situation did not get better since the 1860s.
Singing this song during civil rights movements was done in chorus singing by those present. The song created a bond between the protestors because of the uniformity in singing its non-complicated verses. From this bonding came a heightened sense of discipline - discipline to keep to what their cause was really about in the face of challenges. Like other songs sang during the civil rights movement marches, “Oh Freedom” fostered love despite the hate the activists were encountering. Most importantly, this song spread their message loud and clear that they were not going back to slavery and that they would one day live in an America with equal rights for all men regardless of race.
Work Cited
YouTube. "Oh Freedom! - The Golden Gospel Singers (Lyrics In Description)". N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
