Historical Evaluation Essay: Song of Protest during the Civil Rights Movement

During the Civil Rights Movement, songs played a huge role. These songs expressed the struggles and emotions of the movement. One of these world famous songs was “This Little Light of Mine,” which is still being used today. The song can be dated back all the way to the slave era but there is no official author of the song. “This Little Light of Mine” talks about letting your true self shine and not to let anyone [racism, segregation] bring you down or stop you from being you. This song was used in the 1950’s to send out a message that all those who are effected by racism would not be suppressed by others racist hate, as well as teaching others to love themselves.
Before and during the Civil Rights Movement, there was extreme racism against all of those who were not white, especially in the South. In the Northern states in America, everything was desegregated; there were interracial friends as well as interracial couples. Now in the Southern states, that’s a whole other story. Everything was either legally segregated or socially segregated. That meant places such as homes, schools, bathrooms, friends, and family races were separated. The white people acted as if they were superior to all of the other races. If anyone got in their way violence was the common way to solve the problem. There were groups such as the Ku Klux Clan who had “white community meetings,” where they would plan on how to terrorize the black people in their town. People would any wrong doing of a black person as an excuse to lynch them, burn their house, and kill their whole families. Usually when white people would try to help the black people in distress, they would receive the same brutal punishments. The verse, “Down in South America, I’m gonna let it shine,” from “This Little Light of Mine” relates to the way many black people felt about the racism in the South. The verse means that in the Southern sates, where the most racism is, and the people who have been oppressed by their racism antics will let it shine. When they let it shine they are acting as equal human beings, showing the racist people that they are confident in them selves, knowing they are important, having a purpose in life, as well as having a beautiful soul demanding respect from everyone around them.
As the beatings got worse for the black community, people could not stand the unjust brutality and felt the need to put an end to the racism. There were countless assaults and murders going unnoticed in the South; that is, until a 14 year old boy named Emmett Till was murdered. It was in the summer of 1955, august to be exact when his life was ended. He came from Chicago, Illinois where everything was not segregated and even had a white girlfriend. His friends dared him to go talk to the white woman who was a cashier in a local store. What he said to her was, “Bye baby,” this was considered flirting back then. This woman ended up being married and her husband and brother in law did not take this incident kindly. These two men kidnapped Emmett, shot him in the head, beat him to the extent of unrecognizable proportions, and then anchored him in a nearby river. Once Emmett was found the only way his mother, Mammie Till, could recognize him is by the ring he had on where his name was engraved. She wanted the whole world to be aware of what was going on in the south, as this was what was normally going on there. With an open casket funeral in their hometown Chicago and a headshot of Emmett’s dead body on the cover of Jet magazine, Mammie made the world finally aware of what was going on (Borgna Brunner, Elissa Haney.)
Even though the many deaths in the South due to racist assaults were a big shock to the Northern people, the Southerners have been dealt with it for their whole lives. Groups of racist resistors were starting to form. In the state of Alabama there was a Southern Christian Leadership conference where their leader was chosen, his name was Martin Luther King Junior. This man is usually recognized as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement today. His group along with the NAACP changed many laws, had protests and boycotts that got their purpose to be known; to have equal rights and stopping racism forever. He could not have completed this movement alone; it took people from across the United Sates (Boycott.) For example when one New York protestor was asked why he takes an active parts in an issue that does not concern him he stated that, “…injustice anywhere is everybody’s concern” (Lisa Watson.) This is a perfect example of the verses, “Down in my heart I’m gonna let it shine/ain’t gonna make it shine just gonna let it shine,” form the song “This Little Light of Mine.” These verses mean that all of the emotions deep inside of those who resist racism will be shown to the world together. Their emotions and true beliefs will shine effortlessly without reserves. All of the United States protestors against racism and the unjust segregation laws did this by working together and have changed the world as they knew it forever.
This “little light” that the protestors used against racism was their confidence, emotions against racism, and what they know is right. The “let it shine” by doing what they believe in what is right and what is better for the whole world by demolishing the extreme racism. In order to do this the protestors learned how to love themselves and taught all those who were against them what is morally right, no racism. The song “This Little Light of Mine” is dated back to the slave era. It still had the same meaning as it has for all of these past years. The slaves would sing the song while doing their doily work along with other folk songs. The song was a representation of showing their worthiness and equality as human beings.
Even though many have suffered because of racism, the Civil Rights Movement solved many of the segregated racist problems. Songs played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement, most showing equality to all on earth. Some Civil Rights Movement songs can be dated back to the Slave Era, for example “This Little Light of Mine,” which is still used to today in children and religious songs. A lot of the songs can be traced back to churches because the bible was the only thing slaves could read. Songs from this era used in the Civil Rights Movement such as “This Little Light of Mine” helped many people learn how to be themselves and accept others for who they are. Everyone should be thankful for the rights and equality that is now present due to the Civil Rights Movement  because or world would not be as nearly as amazing as it is today.