African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954–68) in popular culture
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The history of the 1954 to 1968 American civil rights movement has been depicted and documented in film, song, theater, television, and the visual arts. These presentations add to and maintain cultural awareness and understanding of the goals, tactics, and accomplishments of the people who organized and participated in this nonviolent movement.


Film


Documentaries

* '' Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment'' (1963), first-hand journalistic reporting of the University of Alabama " Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" integration crisis of June 1963. * ''
Nine from Little Rock ''Nine from Little Rock'' is a 1964 American short documentary film directed by Charles Guggenheim about the Little Rock Nine, the first nine African-American students to attend an all-white Arkansas high school in 1957. The film was commissioned ...
'' (1964), about the Little Rock Nine who enrolled in an all-white Arkansas high school in 1957. * ''The March'' (1964), about the 1963 March on Washington, was made for the United States Information Agency. * ''
Louisiana Diary ''Louisiana Diary'' is a documentary film produced and directed by KQED (TV)'s Richard O. Moore for National Educational Television in 1963. It was first aired in 1964. Copyright to this film is held by Public Broadcasting Service TV station WNET, ...
'' (1964) follows the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) from July to August 1963, as they undertake an African American voter registration drive in Plaquemine, Louisiana. * ''
Cicero March ''Cicero March'' is a 1966 short documentary film made by the Chicago-based production company, The Film Group. The film details a civil rights march held on September 4, 1966 in Cicero, Illinois. The film documents Robert Lucas and fellow member ...
'' (1966), details a civil rights march held by the Congress of Racial Equality on September 4, 1966 in Cicero, Illinois, soon after the 1966
Chicago open housing movement The Chicago Freedom Movement, also known as the Chicago open housing movement, was led by Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel and Al Raby. It was supported by the Chicago-based Coordinating Council of Community Organizations (CCCO) and the Sout ...
ended. * '' King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis'' (1970) * ''Malcolm X'' (1972), based on '' The Autobiography of Malcolm X''. * ''
Freedom on My Mind ''Freedom on My Mind'' is a 1994 feature documentary film that tells the story of the Mississippi voter registration movement of 1961 to 1964, which was characterized by violence against the people involved, including multiple instances of murde ...
'' (1994), documents efforts to register African-American voters in Mississippi,
Freedom Summer Freedom Summer, also known as the Freedom Summer Project or the Mississippi Summer Project, was a volunteer campaign in the United States launched in June 1964 to attempt to register as many African-American voters as possible in Mississippi. ...
, and the formation of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. * '' A Time for Justice'' (1994), a short history of the civil rights movement narrated by Julian Bond. * ''
4 Little Girls ''4 Little Girls'' is a 1997 American historical documentary film about the murder of four African-American girls (Addie May Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Rosamond Robertson) in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Bi ...
'' (1997), focusing on the 1963 events surrounding the bombing of the
16th Street Baptist Church The 16th Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. In 1963, the church was bombed by Ku Klux Klan members. The bombing killed four young girls in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. The church is stil ...
just after the Birmingham campaign. * '' Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks'' (2002), created with archival footage * '' February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four'' (2003), documents the 1960 Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins and the four college students involved. * ''The Murder of Emmett Till'' (2003) about the murder and the impact of
Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...
's open-casket funeral. * '' Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin'' (2003), about the life of civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin. * '' Home of the Brave'' (2004), documents the life and murder of Viola Liuzzo. * '' Mighty Times: The Children's March'' (2004) about the 1963 Birmingham campaign and its marches by schoolchildren. * ''
Dare Not Walk Alone ''Dare Not Walk Alone'' is a 2006 documentary film directed by Jeremy Dean. The film played the festival circuit in 2006 and in 2007 received the audience award at the Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio. It was signed by Indican Pictures fo ...
'' (2006) focuses on the 1964
St. Augustine movement The St. Augustine movement was a part of the wider Civil Rights Movement, taking place in St. Augustine, Florida from 1963 to 1964. It was a major event in the city's long history and had a role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. B ...
. * ''
Mississippi Cold Case ''Mississippi Cold Case'' is a 2007 feature documentary produced by David Ridgen of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation about the Ku Klux Klan murders of two 19-year-old black men, Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore, in Southwest Missis ...
'' (2007), chronicles the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
murders of two young black men in Mississippi in 1964 during
Freedom Summer Freedom Summer, also known as the Freedom Summer Project or the Mississippi Summer Project, was a volunteer campaign in the United States launched in June 1964 to attempt to register as many African-American voters as possible in Mississippi. ...
, and the 21st-century quest for justice by the brother of one of those murdered. * ''
Colored Frames ''Colored Frames'' is a 2007 documentary film taking a look at the role of fine art in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the legacy of discrimination in the art community both historically and contemporarily. The documentary is a showcase of a ...
'' (2007), art within the civil rights movement. * '' The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306'' (2008), details the events surrounding the
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...
at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. * '' Neshoba'' (2008), chronicles the events and thinking in
Neshoba County, Mississippi Neshoba County is located in the central part of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,087. Its county seat is Philadelphia. It was named after ''Nashoba'', a Choctaw chief. His name means "wolf" in the ...
, 40 years after the 1964
murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner The murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, also known as the Freedom Summer murders, the Mississippi civil rights workers' murders, or the Mississippi Burning murders, refers to events in which three activists were abducted and murdered in ...
. * '' Soundtrack for a Revolution'' (2009), focuses on some of the songs sung during the civil rights movement. * ''Crossing in St. Augustine'' (2010), produced by Andrew Young, who participated in the civil rights movement in St. Augustine in 1964. * '' The Barber of Birmingham'' (2011), about James Armstrong, a voting rights activist and an original flag bearer for the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. * '' Julian Bond: Reflections from the Frontlines of the Civil Rights Movement'' (2012), on the life and thoughts of activist Julian Bond. * ''
The March The March can refer to: * March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a 1963 civil rights event * Salt March, when Gandhi in 1930 walked to protest the British salt tax in India * Sherman's March to the Sea during the American Civil War * Long March i ...
'' (2013), documents the 1963 March on Washington and the "
I Have a Dream "I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called ...
" speech by King. * ''Freedom Summer'' (2014), documents the events of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer movement. * ''
In the Hour of Chaos ''In the Hour of Chaos'' is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Bayer Mack about the life and trials of the Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. ("Daddy King"), father of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The film's ensemble voice c ...
'' (2016), film about
Martin Luther King Sr. Martin Luther King (born Michael King; December 19, 1899November 11, 1984) was an African-American Baptist pastor, missionary, and an early figure in the Civil Rights Movement. He was the father and namesake of the civil rights leader Martin Lut ...
* '' I Am Not Your Negro'' (2016),
James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; de ...
's reminiscences of civil rights movement participants. * ''
King in the Wilderness ''King in the Wilderness'' is an American documentary film about Martin Luther King Jr. that premiered on April 2, 2018 on HBO, focusing on the final two years of his life leading up to his assassination on April 4, 1968. The film includes some n ...
'' (2018), focuses on the last two years of Dr. King's life. * '' John Lewis: Good Trouble'' (2020), on the life of activist, SNCC leader, and congressman John Lewis.


Dramatizations

*''
Mississippi Burning ''Mississippi Burning'' is a 1988 American crime thriller film directed by Alan Parker that is loosely based on the 1964 murder investigation of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi. It stars Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe as two FBI ...
'' (1988), about the 1964
murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner The murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, also known as the Freedom Summer murders, the Mississippi civil rights workers' murders, or the Mississippi Burning murders, refers to events in which three activists were abducted and murdered in ...
in Mississippi. * ''Hairspray'' (1988, 2007 remake), features a major subplot about civil rights movement era demonstrations against racial segregation in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
, Maryland. * '' The Long Walk Home'' (1990), portrays a woman who is boycotting city buses during the 1955-1956 Montgomery bus boycott. * ''Malcolm X'' (1992), a biopic focused on the life and assassination of Malcolm X. * ''
Ghosts of Mississippi ''Ghosts of Mississippi'' is a 1996 American biographical courtroom drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods. The plot is based on the true story of the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the ...
'' (1996), an account of the assassination of Mississippi activist Medgar Evers and the subsequent investigation. * ''
Selma, Lord, Selma ''Selma, Lord, Selma'' is a 1999 American made-for-television biographical drama film based on true events that happened in March 1965, known as Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. The film tells the story through the eyes of an 9-year-old African-A ...
'' (1999), follows the life of 11-year-old
Sheyann Webb Sheyann Webb-Christburg (born February 17, 1956) is a civil rights activist known as Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Smallest Freedom Fighter" and co-author of the book ''Selma, Lord, Selma''. As an eight-year-old, Webb took part in the first attempt ...
during the events leading up to the 1965
Selma to Montgomery march The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...
and its "Bloody Sunday". * '' Our Friend, Martin'' (1999), fictionalized animated time-travel film which depicts Martin Luther King Jr. at several key points during the civil rights movement. * ''Boycott'' (2001), depicts some of the events of the 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott. * ''
The Rosa Parks Story ''The Rosa Parks Story'' is a 2002 American television movie written by Paris Qualles and directed by Julie Dash. Angela Bassett portrays Rosa Parks, with Cicely Tyson in a supporting role as her mother. It was broadcast by CBS on February 24, 2 ...
'' (2002), the life of the key figure in the Montgomery bus boycott. * '' The Butler'' (2013), a scene depicts a civil rights movement training session conducted during the
Nashville Student Movement The Nashville Student Movement was an organization that challenged racial segregation in Nashville, Tennessee during the Civil Rights Movement. It was created during workshops in nonviolence taught by James Lawson. The students from this orga ...
by James Lawson and other civil rights movement events. * '' Selma'' (2014), focusing on the events leading up to, during, and after the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, including the 1965 Voting Rights Act. * '' All the Way'' (2016), focusing on Lyndon B. Johnson's successful attempt to pass the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...
. * '' An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win'' (2016), depicts the racism faced by a young fictional character in her home town of Detroit during the events leading up to the
16th Street Baptist Church bombing The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was a white supremacist terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, September 15, 1963. Four members of a local Ku Klux Klan chapter planted 19 sticks of dynam ...
, the film honors the four children killed in the bombing during the end credits. * '' My Nephew Emmett'' (2017), about the 1955 murder of
Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...
* '' Son of the South'' (2020), focuses on the life of SNCC activist Bob Zellner. * '' Till'' (2022), based on the true story of Mamie Till-Bradley, an educator and activist who pursued justice after the murder of her 14-year-old son
Emmett Emmett may refer to: Places ;In the United States * Emmett, Idaho * Emmett, Kansas * Emmett, Michigan, a village in St. Clair County * Emmett Charter Township, Michigan in Calhoun County * Emmett Township, St. Clair County, Michigan * Emmett, Misso ...
. * '' Rustin'', upcoming film about movement leader Bayard Rustin.


Television

* ''
Summer in Mississippi ''Summer in Mississippi'' is a 1965 Canadian documentary short from Beryl Fox, produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and first shown on '' This Hour Has Seven Days''. Synopsis Director/producer Beryl Fox traveled to Mississippi after ...
'' (1965), a Canadian documentary short * '' Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan'' (1975) two-part television movie dramatizing the events following the 1964 disappearance and murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. * ''King'' (1978 miniseries) about Southern Christian Leadership Conference chairman and movement spokesman, Martin Luther King Jr. * ''
Crisis at Central High ''Crisis at Central High'' is a 1981 in television, 1981 made-for-television movie about the Little Rock Integration Crisis, Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957, based on a draft of the memoir by the same name by former assistant principal Eli ...
'' (1981), made-for-television movie about the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957. * '' For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story'' (1983), PBS
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...
about assassinated Mississippi civil rights activist Medgar Evers, his work, and his family. * ''
Eyes on the Prize ''Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement'' is an American television series and 14-part documentary about the 20th-century civil rights movement in the United States. The documentary originally aired on the PBS network, and it also ...
'' (1987-1990), a 14-hour documentary series chronicling the civil rights movement. * ''
My Past Is My Own ''My Past Is My Own'' is a television film which aired as a ''CBS Schoolbreak Special'' on January 24, 1989. The film is centered on a sit-in in the early 1960s at a racially segregated lunch counter in the Southern United States. Whoopi Goldberg ...
'' (1989), a portrayal of students organizing an early 1960s civil rights movement
sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...
. * '' Murder in Mississippi'' (1990) movie following the last weeks of three civil rights workers, Michael "Mickey" Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney, and the events leading up to their disappearance and subsequent murder during
Freedom Summer Freedom Summer, also known as the Freedom Summer Project or the Mississippi Summer Project, was a volunteer campaign in the United States launched in June 1964 to attempt to register as many African-American voters as possible in Mississippi. ...
. * ''Separate But Equal'' (1991), depicts the landmark
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
desegregation case '' Brown v. Board of Education'', based on the phrase " Separate but equal". * ''
The Ernest Green Story ''The Ernest Green Story'' is a 1993 American made-for-television biographical film which follows the true story of Ernest Green (Morris Chestnut) and eight other African-American high-school students (dubbed the "Little Rock Nine") as they emba ...
'' (1993), film chronicling the true story of Ernest Green ( Morris Chestnut) and eight other high-school students (dubbed the " Little Rock Nine") and the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. * ''
George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...
'' (1997), a film about
George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...
, the Alabama governor, and his involvement in many of the events of the era including the 1963 " Stand in the Schoolhouse Door". * ''Ruby Bridges'' (1998), the true story of six-year-old Ruby Bridges who, in 1960, became the first black student to integrate an elementary school in the South. * '' Any Day Now'' (1998-2002), series with a major subplot involving the Birmingham campaign. * '' Freedom Song'' (2000), a film based on true stories of the civil rights movement in Mississippi, involving voting rights,
Freedom Summer Freedom Summer, also known as the Freedom Summer Project or the Mississippi Summer Project, was a volunteer campaign in the United States launched in June 1964 to attempt to register as many African-American voters as possible in Mississippi. ...
, and the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, often pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emerging in 1960 from the student-led sit-ins at segrega ...
(SNCC). * ''Sins of the Father'' (2002) chronicles the 1963
16th Street Baptist Church bombing The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was a white supremacist terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, September 15, 1963. Four members of a local Ku Klux Klan chapter planted 19 sticks of dynam ...
in Birmingham, Alabama in which four young African American girls were killed while attending Sunday school. * '' Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK'' (2011), BET documentary details Martin Luther King Jr.'s college years and fraternity. * ''
Freedom Riders Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States in 1961 and subsequent years to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions ''Morgan v. Virginia' ...
'' (2011), a PBS film marking the 50th anniversary of the first Freedom Ride in May, 1961. * ''
Betty & Coretta ''Betty & Coretta'' is a 2013 American drama film directed by Yves Simoneau and written by Shem Bitterman and Ron Hutchinson. The film stars Mary J. Blige, Angela Bassett, Gloria Reuben, Malik Yoba, Tyler Hynes and Benz Antoine. The film premier ...
'' (2013), a film focused on
Betty Shabazz Betty Shabazz (born Betty Dean Sanders; May 28, 1934/1936 – June 23, 1997), also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was married to Malcolm X. Shabazz grew up in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, where he ...
and Coretta Scott King. * ''
Hairspray Live! ''Hairspray Live!'' is an American television special that aired live on the American television network NBC on December 7, 2016. Produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and hosted by Darren Criss, it is a performance of a new adaptation of the 2 ...
'' (2016), a presentation of the John Waters musical about a fictional Baltimore desegregation of a television dance program. * Rosa (''Doctor Who'') (2018), an episode of the popular science-fiction series depicts Rosa Parks and her 1955 sit-in which began the Montgomery bus boycott. * ''The Umbrella Academy'' (2020), season two of the science-fiction series, set in 1963, partially revolves around the civil rights movement and depicts a protest in a diner. *'' Women of the Movement'' (2022) Six-episode series about Mamie Till and her son
Emmett Emmett may refer to: Places ;In the United States * Emmett, Idaho * Emmett, Kansas * Emmett, Michigan, a village in St. Clair County * Emmett Charter Township, Michigan in Calhoun County * Emmett Township, St. Clair County, Michigan * Emmett, Misso ...
.


Music


Sung in the civil rights movement

*" We Shall Overcome", gospel-based song that became an anthem for the civil rights movement. *"
Kum ba yah "''Kum ba yah''" ("''Come by here''") is an African American spiritual song of disputed origin, but known to be sung in the Gullah culture of the islands off South Carolina and Georgia, with ties to enslaved West Africans. The song is thought ...
" ("Come by here"), an African American spiritual song of disputed origin sung during the movement. *"
We Shall Not Be Moved "I Shall Not Be Moved", also known as "We Shall Not Be Moved", is an African-American slave spiritual, hymn, and protest song dating to the early 19th century American south. It was likely originally sung at revivalist camp-meetings as a sla ...
", spiritual-based song often sung during the civil rights movement. *" Keep Your Eyes on the Prize", sung during the Movement actions, based on the traditional folk song "
Gospel Plow "Gospel Plow" (also known as "Hold On" and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow") is a traditional African American spiritual. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index, number 10075. The title is biblical, based on Lukebr>9:62. Recordings * Duke Ellin ...
". *"
Oh, Freedom "Oh, Freedom" is a post-Civil War African-American freedom song. It is often associated with the Civil Rights Movement, with Odetta, who recorded it as part of the "Spiritual Trilogy", on her ''Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues'' album, and with Joa ...
", a post-Civil War African-American freedom song, popular during the Civil Rights Movement. *"
This Little Light of Mine "This Little Light of Mine" is a popular gospel song of unknown origin. It was often reported to be written for children in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes, but he never claimed credit for the original version of the song, and the Moody Bible Ins ...
", originally a hymn, the lyrics were modified as it became a movement anthem. *" Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round", movement song adapted from a spiritual. * " If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus" by Charles Neblett, a founder and member of
The Freedom Singers The Freedom Singers originated as a quartet formed in 1962 at Albany State College in Albany, Georgia. After folk singer Pete Seeger witnessed the power of their congregational-style of singing, which fused black Baptist ''a cappella'' church singin ...
* "
Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind Stayed On Freedom) "Woke Up This Morning" is a freedom song created in 1961 from the old gospel song "I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus". It is one of many similar songs during the civil rights movement. The song was written by Reverend Robert Wesby ...
", gospel based 1961 revamp by Robert Wesby, composed during the Freedom Rides.


About the civil rights movement

*" Fables of Faubus" (1957),
Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...
's jazz composition written and performed in response to the Little Rock Nine incident *" The Death of Emmett Till" (1962), one of several songs Bob Dylan paid tribute to civil rights; this one a reference to the
Murder of Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...
*"
Oxford Town "Oxford Town" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 1962. It was recorded in Columbia's Studio A on December 6, 1962, for his second album, ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan''. The song was composed in response to an open invit ...
" (1962), written and sung by Bob Dylan, pertains to
James Meredith James Howard Meredith (born June 25, 1933) is an American civil rights activist, writer, political adviser, and Air Force veteran who became, in 1962, the first African-American student admitted to the racially segregated University of Mississ ...
's enrollment at the University of Mississippi. *" Alabama" (1963), John Coltrane's jazz composition response to a 1963 church bombing that killed four young girls. *" A Change Is Gonna Come" (1964), written and sung by
Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...
, became an anthem for the civil rights movement. *" Birmingham Sunday" (1964), Richard Fariña's response to the Birmingham church bombing recorded by Joan Baez, Fariña's sister-in-law, on her 1964 album ''
Joan Baez/5 ''Joan Baez/5'' is the fifth solo album and third studio album by American folk singer Joan Baez, released in October 1964. It peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The single " There But for Fortune" reached number 50 on the Billbo ...
''. *"
Mississippi Goddamn "Mississippi Goddam" is a song written and performed by American singer and pianist Nina Simone, who later announced the anthem to be her "first civil rights song". The song was released on her album ''Nina Simone in Concert'' in 1964, which was ...
" (1964), Nina Simone's response to the murder of Medgar Evers. *" Only a Pawn in Their Game" (1964), Bob Dylan's response to the murder of Medgar Evers, which he sung at the 1963 March on Washington *"
Keep on Pushing ''Keep On Pushing'' is a studio album by the Impressions, released on ABC-Paramount in 1964. This was the group's biggest hit album ever, reaching number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, the band's highest position on the chart, and number 4 on ...
" (1964), rhythm and blues hit single by The Impressions. *" Here's to the State of Mississippi", (1965) a protest song by
Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter and protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer). Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, political activism, often alliterative lyrics, and ...
that criticizes the state of Mississippi for its mistreatment of
African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
. * " Eve of Destruction" (1965) references the Selma to Montgomery marches. *"
Abraham, Martin and John "Abraham, Martin and John" is a 1968 song written by Dick Holler. It was first recorded by Dion, in a version that was a substantial North American chart hit in 1968–1969. Near-simultaneous cover versions by Smokey Robinson and the Mira ...
" (1968), a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy written by
Dick Holler Richard Louis Holler (born October 16, 1934 in Indianapolis, IndianaBiography
LMHOF website; acce ...
and first recorded by Dion. *" If I Can Dream" (1968), recorded by Elvis Presley in honor of King soon after King's death. * '' Scenes from the Life of a Martyr'' (1981), a 16-part oratorio composed by
Undine Smith Moore Undine Eliza Anna Smith Moore (25 August 1904 – 6 February 1989), the "Dean of Black Women Composers", was an American composer and professor of music in the twentieth century. Moore was originally trained as a classical pianist, but devel ...
in memory of King. *" MLK" (1984) by U2, a lullaby to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. *" Pride (In the Name of Love)" (1984) a song about King by U2 *'' Joseph Schwantner: New Morning for the World; Nicolas Flagello: The Passion of Martin Luther King'' (1995), an album of classical music by the Oregon Symphony in honor of King. *"
Up to the Mountain (MLK Song) "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day before his assassination in ...
" (2006), Patty Griffin's song about the emotions surrounding King's 1968 I've Been to the Mountaintop speech. * " A Dream" (2006), by
Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...
for the film '' Freedom Writers'', uses King's "
I Have a Dream "I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called ...
" speech *" Glory" (2014), by
Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...
and John Legend for the film '' Selma'', won both the
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...
. *"
Mother of Muses "Mother of Muses" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the seventh track on his 2020 album ''Rough and Rowdy Ways''. It is a spare and meditative acoustic folk song in which the first person ...
" (2020) by Bob Dylan refers to the military defeats of the Confederate States of America and Nazism as "(carving) out the path for Martin Luther King".


Theater

* ''The Meeting'' (1987), a play about an imaginary 1965 meeting between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in a hotel in Harlem. * '' James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire'' (1999), set in Baldwin's apartment on the morning of May 24, 1963, immediately before Baldwin and other Black leaders are scheduled to meet with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy concerning events in the civil rights movement. * ''Hairspray'' (2002), a musical based on the 1988 film described above. * '' The State of Mississippi and the Face of Emmett Till'' (2003) is a play centered on the murder and subsequent open-casket funeral of
Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...
. * '' The Mountaintop'' (2009), a play set in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel the night before King's assassination. * ''I Dream'' (2010), a musical about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. * ''All the Way'' (2012), a play about President
Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
and his work to pass the
1964 Civil Rights Act The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requir ...
.


Graphic non-fiction

* '' Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story'' (1957), graphic portrayal of the 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott written by
Alfred Hassler Alfred Hassler (1910–1991) was an anti-war author and activist during World War II and the Vietnam War. He worked with the U.S. branch of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR USA), a peace and social justice organization, from 1942 to 1974. Ea ...
and Benton Resnik and illustrated by
Sy Barry Seymour "Sy" Barry (born March 12, 1928)
at the
Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White'' (2012) by Lila Quintero Weaver, graphic memoir recounting Weaver's childhood during the 1960s in Marion, Alabama. Published in Spanish as ''Cuarto oscuro: Recuerdos en blanco y negro''. * ''March'' (2013, 2015, 2016), a three-volume graphic autobiography of activist John Lewis recalls his life and the events of the civil rights movement in Nashville, Selma, and other movement sites, co-written by
Andrew Aydin Andrew Aydin (born August 25, 1983) is an American comics writer, known as the Digital Director & Policy Advisor to Georgia congressman John Lewis, and co-author, with Lewis, of Lewis' #1 ''New York Times'' bestselling autobiographical graphic no ...
and illustrated by Nate Powell.


Art

* ''
The Problem We All Live With ''The Problem We All Live With '' is a painting by Norman Rockwell that is considered an iconic image of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. It depicts Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African-American girl, on her way to William Frantz E ...
'' (1964), a painting by Norman Rockwell depicting Ruby Bridges, the six-year-old African-American girl who, in 1960, was the first to desegregate
William Frantz Elementary School William Frantz Elementary School is an American elementary school located at 3811 North Galvez Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117. Along with McDonogh No. 19 Elementary School, it was involved in the New Orleans school desegregation crisis d ...
in the South during the
New Orleans school desegregation crisis The New Orleans school desegregation crisis was a period of intense public resistance in New Orleans following the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in ''Brown v. Board of Education'' that racial segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. ...
. * '' Murder in Mississippi'' (1965), a painting and an important sketch by Norman Rockwell depicting the 1964 murders of civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and
Michael Schwerner Michael Henry Schwerner (November 6, 1939 – June 21, 1964), was one of three Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) field workers killed in rural Neshoba County, Mississippi, by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Schwerner and two co-workers, James Chan ...
. * Bust of Martin Luther King Jr. (1970), by Charles Alston, has been featured in the
Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped room ...
of the White House by the
Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and Trump presidential administrations. * '' Martin Luther King, Jr., Prophet for Peace'' (1976), a statue of King and Emmett Till in Pueblo, Colorado, by Ed Rose * U.S. Capitol Rotunda sculpture (1986), a bust of Martin Luther King Jr., by John Woodrow Wilson *
Civil Rights Memorial The Civil Rights Memorial is an American memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, created by Maya Lin. The names of 41 people are inscribed on the granite fountain as martyrs who were killed in the civil rights movement. The memorial is sponsored by t ...
(1989), a
memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...
fountain in Montgomery, Alabama designed by Maya Lin dedicated to 41 people who died in the civil rights movement. * Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. (1993), in Mexico City. *''
Landmark for Peace Memorial The ''Landmark for Peace'' is a memorial sculpture in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park on the northside of Indianapolis. It honors the contributions of the slain leaders Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. The memorial, which features Ke ...
'' (1994), a statue honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in Indianapolis, Indiana, by Greg Perry and
Daniel Edwards Daniel Edwards (born 1965 in La Porte, Indiana) is an American contemporary artist whose pieces address celebrity and popular culture in ways that have often stirred controversy. The release of the pieces is generally accompanied by press releas ...
. *'' Homage to King'' (1996), statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia, by Xavier Medina Campeny. * ''
The Bridge The Bridge may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Art * ''The Bridge'' (sculpture), a 1997 sculpture in Atlanta, Georgia, US * Die Brücke (''The Bridge''), a group of German expressionist artists * ''The Bridge'' (M. C. Escher), a lithograph ...
'' (1997), sculpture in Atlanta, Georgia, by
Thornton Dial Thornton Dial (10 September 1928 – 25 January 2016) was a pioneering American artist who came to prominence in the late 1980s. Dial's body of work exhibits formal variety through expressive, densely composed assemblages of found materials, oft ...
honoring civil rights movement activist and SNCC leader John Lewis * '' Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'' (1998), a statue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by Eric Blome. * ''
The Dream A dream is an experience during sleep. Dream, The Dream, Dreams, etc. may also refer to: Art Paintings * ''Le Rêve'' (Detaille), an 1888 painting by Édouard Detaille * ''Le Rêve'' (Picasso) (''The Dream'' in French), 1932 oil painting by ...
'' (1998), a sculpture honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in Portland, Oregon, by Michael Florin Dente. * '' Martin Luther King Jr.'' (1999), a statue in Austin, Texas, by Jeffrey Varilla and Anna Koh-Varilla. * ''
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a national memorial located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It covers and includes the ''Stone of Hope'', a granite statue of Civil Rights Movement le ...
'' (2000), a bust and accompanying bas reliefs by Jonathan Shahn in Jersey City, New Jersey. * ''
February One ''February One'' (also referred to as the A&T Four Monument) is the name of the 2002 monument dedicated to Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond who were collectively known as the Greensboro Four. The 15-foot bronze ...
'' (2002), a statue by James Barnhill in Greensboro, North Carolina commemorating the four students who organized the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins. * Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. (2002), in Denver Colorado, by Ed Dwight, also features depictions of activists Frederick Douglass,
Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, Rosa Parks, and
Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth (; born Isabella Baumfree; November 26, 1883) was an American abolitionist of New York Dutch heritage and a women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to f ...
. * Statue of Martin Luther King Jr. (2007) in Houston, Texas, by Ed Dwight. * The
Virginia Civil Rights Memorial The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial is a monument in Richmond, Virginia, commemorating protests which helped bring about school desegregation in the state. The memorial was opened in July 2008, and is located on the grounds of the Virginia State ...
(2008), designed and sculpted by Stanley Bleifeld, consists of 18 statues representing individuals, including student
Barbara Johns Barbara Rose Johns Powell (March 6, 1935 – September 28, 1991) was a leader in the American civil rights movement. On April 23, 1951, at the age of 16, Powell led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville ...
, who protested to bring school desegregation to the state. * Statue of Rosa Parks (2009), a statue in
Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
, portrays activist
Rose Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "the f ...
waiting for a bus. *
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a national memorial located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It covers and includes the ''Stone of Hope'', a granite statue of Civil Rights Movement le ...
(2011), showcases the ''Stone of Hope'', a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. by
Lei Yixin Lei Yixin (born 1954) is a prominent Chinese sculptor. Yixin designed the ''Stone of Hope'', the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the King Memorial near the United States National Mall. Childhood and education Lei was born to a family o ...
, and several surrounding art pieces and quotations on the
National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institut ...
in Washington, D.C. * St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Monument (2011), by Brian R. Owens, commemorates the activists who participated in the 1963-64
St. Augustine movement The St. Augustine movement was a part of the wider Civil Rights Movement, taking place in St. Augustine, Florida from 1963 to 1964. It was a major event in the city's long history and had a role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. B ...
. *'' Emmett Till: How She Sent Him and How She Got Him Back'' (2012), a painting by Lisa Whittington depicting the results of the 1955 lynching of
Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...
* ''Rosa Parks'' (2013), statue in National Statuary Hall, Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. * Statues of Martin Luther King Jr. (2015, 2021), two statues of Dr. King by Thomas Jay Warren in Newark, New Jersey * ''
Open Casket ''Open Casket'' is a 2016 painting by Dana Schutz. The subject is Emmett Till, a black 14-year-old boy who was lynched by two white men in Mississippi in 1955. It was one of the works included at the 2017 ''Whitney Biennial'' exhibition in New Y ...
'' (2016), a painting by Dana Schutz depicting
Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...
after his 1955 lynching. * ''
Continuing the Conversation ''Continuing the Conversation'' is a public sculpture honoring Rosa Parks in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Located on the main campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), the artwork was created by Martin Dawe and unveiled ...
'' (2018), a double-statue of Rosa Parks by Martin Dawe, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia * '' Hope Moving Forward'' (2021), a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Georgis, designed by Basil Watson


See also

*
List of photographers of the civil rights movement Beginning with the murder of Emmett Till in 1955, photography and photographers played an important role in advancing the civil rights movement by documenting the public and private acts of racial discrimination against African Americans and the n ...
*
Freedom Songs Freedom songs were songs which were sung by participants in the civil rights movement. They are also called "civil rights anthems" or, in the case of songs which are more hymn-like, they are called "civil rights hymns." Freedom songs were an impo ...
* ''
A Force More Powerful ''A Force More Powerful'' is a 1999 feature-length documentary film and a 2000 PBS series written and directed by Steve York about nonviolent resistance movements around the world. Executive producers were Dalton Delan and Jack DuVall. Peter Ac ...
'', 1999 documentary and 2000 television series * Television News of the Civil Rights Era 1950–1970 * Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument * Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument *
Freedom Riders National Monument The Freedom Riders National Monument is a United States National Monument in Anniston, Alabama established by President Barack Obama in January 2017 to preserve and commemorate the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement. The monument is ...
* National Civil Rights Museum * National Voting Rights Museum *
Memorials to Martin Luther King Jr. This is a list of memorials to Martin Luther King Jr. United States There are numerous memorials to King in the United States, including: Memorial sites * In 1980, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated King's boyhood home in Atlan ...
* Streets named after Martin Luther King Jr.


References


External links


"People Get Ready": Music and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Civil rights movement in popular culture Civil rights movement in film Civil rights movement in television