The lives of enslaved black North Americans were filled with pain and suffering. In order to cope with the harsh realities of living in enslavement, the words of the Negro Spiritual provided solace. But more significantly, the themes found in the Negro Spiritual proved over time to be the very road map that would lead people to freedom. On My Way to Freedom Land: A Collective Series of Collages and Photographs on the Negro Spirituals of the Underground Railroad Movement showcases forty-three Negro Spirituals through visual interpretations documented through collage and photography. Dr. Obiora N. Anekwe created these images over a three-year period to preserve the Negro Spiritual for generations to come. His advocative spirit to keep the stories of his ancestors alive is evident through this historic and vivid book.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, such songs as "We Shall Overcome," "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," and "Do What the Spirit Says Do" were sung at virtually every mass meeting, demonstration, and planning session of Civil Rights activists. They were sung on the Freedom Rides, during the marches, and in jail cells of the South. Movement activists have commented frequently and eloquently on the ways that singing and songs gave them strength and a sense of self. This study offers a close analysis of the lyrics of the songs most central to the Civil Rights Movement, with an eye to understanding the songs as self-persuasion. In the songs, the activists defined themselves and their world, and reinforced a plan of action for their participation in the Movement. This analysis of the freedom songs is set in the context of Movement history and supported with commentary from activists and background information on Movement activities. In addition, this study offers readers insights into the moving and inspiring power of the freedom songs.

Over 50 songs that stir the American spirit, grouped by historical era for easy reference, will make readers want to tap their feet, clap their hands, and sing along.

Montgomery, Alabama, 1955--the civil rights movement has begun. The authors build a narrative from the words of the people, their photographs and their songs to form an emphasis on triumph in an uncertain age. Photos and music.

Each song in this book was selected for its rousing chorus or its pattern of repeated lyrics (so everyone can sing along). Sixty songs are included to enhance any campfire gathering. Guitar chords, melody notation, and complete lyrics are included

Religions of the United States in Practice is a rich anthology of primary sources with accompanying essays that examines religious behavior in America. From praying in an early American synagogue to performing Mormon healing rituals to debating cremation, Volume 2 explores faith through action in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The documents and essays consider the religious practices of average people--praying, singing, healing, teaching, imagining, and persuading. Some documents are formal liturgies while other texts describe more spontaneous religious actions. Because religious practices also take place in the imagination, dreams, visions, and fictional accounts are also included. Accompanying each primary document is an essay that sets the religious practice in its historical and theological context--making this volume ideal for classroom use and accessible to any reader. The introductory essays explain the various meanings of religious practices as lived out in churches and synagogues, in parlors and fields, beside rivers, on lecture platforms, and in the streets. Religions of the United States in Practice offers a sampling of religious perspectives in order to approximate the living texture of popular religious thought and practice in the United States. The history of religion in America is more than the story of institutions and famous people. This anthology presents a more nuanced story composed of the everyday actions and thoughts of lay men and women.