The Music of the Civil Rights Movement
In this lesson, developed by and included with the permission of TeachRock, students will address the essential question: How did popular music reflect the values of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and help the movement convey its message?
Students will examine:
- the role of music as a motivating force in the civil rights movement.
- the history of “We Shall Overcome” and its central importance to the civil rights movement.
- the ways in which popular songs of different musical genres reflected the values and beliefs of the civil rights movement.
- the effectiveness of music in spreading the message of the civil rights movement.
Access The Music of the Civil Rights Movement and accompanying materials on TeachRock’s website.