Civil rights movement of ’50s, ’60s sparked anthems of peace, love. Tune in to hear some.

The American Civil Rights Motion from 1955 to 1968 was outlined by heroic leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Moses, brutal violence that shocked the nation and provoking music that galvanized the volunteers within the “Freedom Summer time” voting rights marketing campaign.

Tonight (Sunday, Aug. 21) on the Mississippi Public Broadcasting community, these anthems of affection and peace can be memorialized earlier than the nation, beginning at 7 o’clock.

“For a short second in time, just a few daring musicians stood on the crossroads of a revolution in music and tradition. They had been America’s rhythm rebels, and the spirit of what they created then lives on right this moment,” MPB stated in saying “Freedom Songs: The Music of the Civil Rights Motion.”

In 1964, a few of us of a sure age in Pike County skilled that music dwell in a church off historic Summit Road in McComb. Probably the most outstanding people singers of the age, Joan Baez, carried out there through the peak of Mississippi’s “Lengthy, Scorching Summer time.”

Through the remaining hymn of the night time, “We Shall Overcome,” attendees clasped arms of unity for the track thought-about essentially the most significant of the turbulent motion.

A rising senior at McComb Excessive College, I had gotten phrase of the Baez look on the native newspaper, the Enterprise-Journal. My father labored there for 35 years and was the lead reporter protecting the violence perpetrated all year long on Black companies and householders by home-grown klaverns of the Ku Klux Klan.

As a child reporter who took photos and carried out darkroom work, I had ears out for well-known guests like Baez to the “Bombing Capital of the World.” The place had acquired that epithet throughout a summer time by which the Klan firebombed 13 Black church buildings, houses and companies in McComb and Pike County.

Dad by no means knew that my cadre of classmates had discovered of her upcoming live performance or our full intentions to attend. Months later once I instructed him of our secret mission, he was furious. “Did y’all have any concept that the Klan may have bombed the church that night time?”

I considerably sheepishly instructed him that when my group discovered Baez was coming to McComb, nothing may’ve stopped us. Miss an opportunity to listen to the fantastic voice of essentially the most well-known balladeer on this planet? Not in that lifetime of silly adolescence.

Charlie Hewitt, a revered musician of the realm whose numerous teams excelled in people music made common by Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, stated he felt some anxiousness about going, however couldn’t resist the chance.

“We slipped by way of the again door onto the final row. An enormous, younger black man took his place in entrance of the door, sporting a pink Ole Miss sweatshirt. I knew if the Klan bombed the church that night time, the blast would come by way of that door. A couple of different younger white folks sat down entrance and that made us really feel slightly safer,” Hewitt recalled.

“As soon as we heard Joan’s stunning voice and noticed her pretty face, concern didn’t cross our minds once more that night time. She requested if there have been any requests. Hawkeye (James Higginbotham, one other space songwriter) requested for ‘There However for Fortune.’ Joan stated she’d already sung that track. Hawk was dissatisfied … however for the remainder of his life he instructed all people he had talked to Joan Baez personally,

“Fortuitously, we completed ‘We Shall Overcome’ and the night with out bombs, a welcome hiatus from the explosions that had been all too frequent that summer time. We heard solely the attractive music from this pretty singer who appeared and gave the impression of an angel.”

Tonight, angels sing once more.

Mac Gordon is a local of McComb. He’s a retired reporter. He may be reached at macmarygordon@gmail.com.