EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
By Kenny Baraka & Miriam Nash
architectsofourrepublic.co.uk
“In a sense the freedom songs are the soul of the
movement. They are more than just incantations of
clever phrases designed to invigorate a campaign…
They are adaptations of the songs the slaves sang —
the sorrow songs, the shouts for joy, the battle hymns
and the anthems of our movement.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
3
THE MOVEMENT
Key Questions
- When have you experienced music as a powerful force?
- What are the key components of a freedom song?
- How do you think freedom/protest songs influenced other kinds of music? Do you hear songs now that remind you of them?
Activity
-Listen to some protest and freedom songs on YouTube (some examples are below)
- Find the common elements: themes, phrases, cadences, instruments, sentiment/emotion…
-Write a list of 3-5 things that you feel are criteria for a freedom song
Come up with your own definition of a freedom song
-Choose a contemporary song that, according to your definition,
is actually a freedom song
-Take the first line of that song and write your own freedom song, addressing you,
your family, your community
Links
Top 10 Civil Rights Protest Songs Of All Time Link
Architects of our Republic
is produced by Apples and
Snakes, England’s leading
organisation for spoken word
and performance poetry.
applesandsnakes.org
Charity
number 294030
Architects of Our Republic Educational Resources