Bernice Johnson Reagon, singer/ composer, cultural historian, author, and producer, was
born on October 4, 1942
in Dougherty County, Georgia, to Reverend Jessie Johnson and Beatrice Johnson. The third child of eight, she began singing at the age of five in her father's church.
When was Bernice Reagon born?
Bernice Johnson Reagon, née Bernice Johnson, (born
October 4, 1942
, Albany, Georgia, U.S.), African American musician and historian whose work ranged from African spirituals to militant civil rights anthems. Reagon grew up surrounded by the sacred music of her father's Baptist church.
Who is Bernice Johnson Reagon and how did she contribute to music during the civil rights movement?
Bernice Johnson Reagon On Leading Freedom Songs During The Civil Rights Movement In the 1960s, Reagon was a
founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee's Freedom Singers
. In 1988, she spoke to Fresh Air about the songs she sang as an activist.
Where did Dr Bernice Johnson Reagon teach?
She held an appointment as Distinguished Professor of
History at American University (AU) in Washington DC
from 1993 to 2003. Reagon has since been named Professor Emerita of History at AU, and holds the title of Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian.
How did the music of the Freedom Singers contribute to the civil rights movement?
After folk singer Pete Seeger witnessed the power of their congregational-style of singing, which fused black Baptist a cappella church singing with protest songs and chants, their performances
drew aid and support
to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the emerging civil rights movement.
How old is Rutha Mae Harris?
Footage of the day shows Harris in her element, looking ahead, determined, as the crowd clap along and burst into applause at the end. “I shall never, ever, forget that,” the
79-year-old
civil rights veteran tells me over the phone from her home in Albany, Georgia.
Was the Albany Movement a success or failure?
Many leaders of the national Civil Rights Movement and the media considered the Albany Movement
a failure
because it did not achieve many concessions from the local government. However, Howard Zinn
What was SNCC's goal in 1966?
Beginning its operations in a corner of the SCLC's Atlanta office, SNCC dedicated itself to
organizing sit-ins, boycotts and other nonviolent direct action protests against segregation and other forms of racial discrimination
.
Why is Bernice Johnson in jail?
In 1961, Bernice Johnson Reagon
When was Ella's song written?
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes. In
1981
, Bernice Johnson Reagon
What does SNCC stand for?
The
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC) In the early 1960s, young Black college students conducted sit-ins around America to protest the segregation of restaurants.
What did the Freedom Singers do?
Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Freedom Singers were a musical group primarily active between 1962 and 1966, singing
“freedom songs” in order to fundraise and organize on behalf of SNCC
. The Freedom Singers emerged out of the Albany Movement of 1962.
Who was the founder of the SNCC Freedom Singers?
Cordell Reagon
was struck by the depth of the congregational style of singing in Albany. After talking with SNCC executive secretary James Forman, he formed the original SNCC Freedom Singers to sing movement songs to audiences across the nation.
How did freedom songs originate?
Although most freedom songs were
derived from hymns
, some freedom songs were also derived from other genres. In order to accommodate people who were not very religious, rock and roll songs were altered and turned into freedom songs, this allowed a large number of activists to partake in the singing.
Who was involved in the Albany Movement?
Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Leadership Conference (SCLC) joined the movement in December 1961.
SNCC
