Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement -- Record Albums of the Freedom Movement

Record Albums of the Freedom Movement
(Cover images courtesy of Samuel Walker)

Most of these albums were recorded live during Southern Freedom Movement mass meetings and protests. Some were produced and sold by Movement organizations to raise funds, others were produced by nonprofit organizations or commericial record labels.

Some of these albums can be purchased by searching for them on the Internet, and for many of them the sound tracks can be downloaded as MP3 audio files.

We've Got A Job To Do
Released by unknown. Date unknown, but probably in late 1950s.

Nashville Sit-In Story
Released by Folkways, 1960.
Produced by Guy Carawan, narrated by C.T. Vivian.
Liner Notes with commentary by Guy Carawan, Rev. Kelly Miller Smith, and Nashville students Peggi Alexander and Angeline Butler. [PDF]
See Nashville Sit-In Story for more information.

The Sit-In Story: The Story of the Lunch Room Sit-Ins
Released by Folkways, 1961.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See The Sit-In Story: for more information.

We Shall Overcome: Songs of the Freedom Riders and the Sit-Ins
Released by Folkways, 1961
Recorded live and produced by Guy Carawan of the Highlander Folk School.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See We Shall Overcome for more information.

Freedom in the Air, Albany, Georgia
Released by Vanguard, 1962?
Recorded live in Albany and produced by Guy Carawan and Alan Lomax for SNCC.

Sit-In Songs: Songs of the Freedom Riders CORE
Released by Dauntless, 1962.
Produced by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, Lest we Forget vol. 2
Released by Folkways, release date 1980?
Recorded Guy and Candie Carawan at a Birmingham mass meeting in 1963.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See Birmingham, Alabama, 1963 for more information.

Everybody Wants Freedom, The Carolina Freedom Fighters
Released by Battle Records, date unknown.
Recorded in 1963
(The names of the singers are not listed on this album for fear of retaliation against them.)

Freedom March on Washington, August 28, 1963
Released by Fox Movietone News, 1963.
This is primarily some of the speeches. Attorneys for Dr. King sued Fox Movietone over this album for copyright violation. (A couple of other labels were also sued for issuing unauthorized recordings.)

We Shall Overcome: Documentary of the March on Washington
Produces and Released by Folkways Records.
Recordings of speeches and songs from the march.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See We Shall Overcome: for more information.

A Jazz Salute to Freedom
Released by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 1963?
A two-disk fundraising album produced for CORE by [unknown] and distributed by [unknown]

We Shall Overcome, Freedom Singers
Released by Mercury Records, 1963? 1964?
Believed to have been recorded in the Fall of 1963.

Sing For Freedom, Lest We Forget, Vol. 3
Produced by Guy and Candy Carawan, Highlander Research and Education Center. Recorded at Sing For Freedom workshop held at Gammon Theologic Seminary, Atlanta, GA, May 1964.
Released by Folkways Records.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See Lest We Forget, Vol 3 for more information.

The Freedom Singers Sing of Freedom Now!
Released by Mercury Records, date unknown.
Recorded in the Spring of 1964 at a SNCC staff meeting held at the Gammon Theologic Seminary.

Movement Soul
Released by Smithsonian Folkways, 1965?
Recorded by Alan Ribback and David Baker at mass meetings, protests, etc, 1963-1964.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See Movement Soul for more information.

The Story of Greenwood, Mississippi
Produced by Guy Carawan for SNCC.
Liner Notes [PDF]
See Story of Greenwood for more information.

Freedom Songs: Selma Alabama
Released by Folkways, 1965. Recorded live in Selma at mass meetings and protests by Carl Benkert.
Liner notes and song lyrics [PDF]
See Freedom Songs for more information.

WNEW's Story of Selma
Released by Folkways Records, 1965
Liner Notes [PDF]
See WNEW's Story of Selma for more information.

Highway Into History: The Selma to Montgomery March
Released by VeeJay Records, 1965?

Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Songs of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement
Compiled by Suzie Erenrich, Cultural Center for Social Change
Released by Folk Era Productions, date unknown
Liner Notes

Sing For Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs
Compilation and notes by Guy and Candie Caraway
Released by Folkways Records
Liner Notes
See Sing For Freedom for more information.

Voices of the Civil Rights Movement; Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966
Produced by Bernice Johnson Reagon and Released by Folkways Records, 1997
Liner Notes by Bernice Johnson Reagon. [PDF]
See Voices of the Civil Rights Movement for more information.

	We've Got A Job To Do Released by unknown. Date unknown, but probably in late 1950s.
Nashville Sit-In Story Released by Folkways, 1960. Produced by Guy Carawan, narrated by C.T. Vivian. Liner Notes with commentary by Guy Carawan, Rev. Kelly Miller Smith, and Nashville students Peggi Alexander and Angeline Butler. [PDF] See Nashville Sit-In Story for more information.
	The Sit-In Story: The Story of the Lunch Room Sit-Ins Released by Folkways, 1961. Liner Notes [PDF] See The Sit-In Story: for more information.
We Shall Overcome: Songs of the Freedom Riders and the Sit-Ins Released by Folkways, 1961 Recorded live and produced by Guy Carawan of the Highlander Folk School. Liner Notes [PDF] See We Shall Overcome for more information.
	Freedom in the Air, Albany, Georgia Released by Vanguard, 1962? Recorded live in Albany and produced by Guy Carawan and Alan Lomax for SNCC.
Sit-In Songs: Songs of the Freedom Riders CORE Released by Dauntless, 1962. Produced by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
	Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, Lest we Forget vol. 2 Released by Folkways, release date 1980? Recorded Guy and Candie Carawan at a Birmingham mass meeting in 1963. Liner Notes [PDF] See Birmingham, Alabama, 1963 for more information.
Everybody Wants Freedom, The Carolina Freedom Fighters Released by Battle Records, date unknown. Recorded in 1963 (The names of the singers are not listed on this album for fear of retaliation against them.)
	Freedom March on Washington, August 28, 1963 Released by Fox Movietone News, 1963. This is primarily some of the speeches. Attorneys for Dr. King sued Fox Movietone over this album for copyright violation. (A couple of other labels were also sued for issuing unauthorized recordings.)
We Shall Overcome: Documentary of the March on Washington Produces and Released by Folkways Records. Recordings of speeches and songs from the march. Liner Notes [PDF] See We Shall Overcome: for more information.
	A Jazz Salute to Freedom Released by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 1963? A two-disk fundraising album produced for CORE by [unknown] and distributed by [unknown]
We Shall Overcome, Freedom Singers Released by Mercury Records, 1963? 1964? Believed to have been recorded in the Fall of 1963.
Sing For Freedom, Lest We Forget, Vol. 3 Produced by Guy and Candy Carawan, Highlander Research and Education Center. Recorded at Sing For Freedom workshop held at Gammon Theologic Seminary, Atlanta, GA, May 1964. Released by Folkways Records. Liner Notes [PDF] See Lest We Forget, Vol 3 for more information.
	The Freedom Singers Sing of Freedom Now! Released by Mercury Records, date unknown. Recorded in the Spring of 1964 at a SNCC staff meeting held at the Gammon Theologic Seminary.
Movement Soul Released by Smithsonian Folkways, 1965? Recorded by Alan Ribback and David Baker at mass meetings, protests, etc, 1963-1964. Liner Notes [PDF] See Movement Soul for more information.
The Story of Greenwood, Mississippi Produced by Guy Carawan for SNCC. Liner Notes [PDF] See Story of Greenwood for more information.
	Freedom Songs: Selma Alabama Released by Folkways, 1965. Recorded live in Selma at mass meetings and protests by Carl Benkert. Liner notes and song lyrics [PDF] See Freedom Songs for more information.
WNEW's Story of Selma Released by Folkways Records, 1965 Liner Notes [PDF] See WNEW's Story of Selma for more information.
	Highway Into History: The Selma to Montgomery March Released by VeeJay Records, 1965?
Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Songs of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement Compiled by Suzie Erenrich, Cultural Center for Social Change Released by Folk Era Productions, date unknown Liner Notes
	Sing For Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs Compilation and notes by Guy and Candie Caraway Released by Folkways Records Liner Notes See Sing For Freedom for more information.
	Voices of the Civil Rights Movement; Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966 Produced by Bernice Johnson Reagon and Released by Folkways Records, 1997 Liner Notes by Bernice Johnson Reagon. [PDF] See Voices of the Civil Rights Movement for more information.

Record Albums of the Freedom Movement (Cover images courtesy of Samuel Walker)

Record Albums of the Freedom Movement
(Cover images courtesy of Samuel Walker)