Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
From “We Shall Overcome” to “Blowing in the Wind,” music played a vital role in the civil rights movement both as an inspirational rallying point for the Freedom Riders and as a way to spread the message of equality and justice. Both old and new songs of the era spoke of the yearning for freedom, the struggle, and the determination to win freedom in a way that engaged and energized the movement and the nation. Award-winning Illinois folksinger Chris Vallillo performs pivotal songs from the music that inspired and sustained this landmark movement and discusses the impact of music on this most important social cause.
Chris Vallillo has spent over 30 years collecting, learning, and performing the roots music of the rural Midwest. He has conducted two major folklore collection projects, one of which now resides in the Library of Congress folklore collection in Washington, DC. Chris has performed at hundreds of schools, libraries, and festivals, as well as on television and radio. From 1990 through 1997, Chris hosted and co-produced an award winning, nationally syndicated performance radio program, Rural Route 3.
