The SNCC Freedom Singers' Song “Which Side Are You On?”

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The 1960s was a time of a cultural revolution in America, resulting in many new ideas and texts. One example of these new cultural texts that come out of the Civil Rights Movement is the song “Which Side Are You On?” by the SNCC Freedom Singers. SNCC is the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was made of students supporting the Civil Rights Movement. The song symbolizes the change undergoing in America and set the stage for the two sides—one supporting the movement and one against it. During the same year this song was sung, Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at Washington D.C., indicating the coming turmoil of civil reform. “Which Side Are You On?” focuses on the part of the movement in Albany, Georgia to express the views of the supporters for the Civil Rights Movement by giving off a persuasive air to support the movement, using notable people opposing the movement in Albany such as Mayor Kelly and Chief Pritchett, the issue of morality from Christianity, and phrases such as “Uncle Tom,” to serve as an example for the entire campaign.

The mention of Mayor Kelly in the lyrics refers to the mayor of Albany at the time, who opposed the Civil Rights Movement, and shows how SNCC feels about him. The words “Where is your heart? We are all children, of the almighty God” conveys a sense that Mayor Kelly is heartless, and questions why he opposes the movement, saying “we are all children, of the almighty God.” If everyone is a child of God, then they are all brothers and sisters, meaning that everyone should treat each other fairly and equally as if they are siblings, and must not discriminate against each other. Mayor Kelly represents the “other” side of what the SNCC Freedom Singers support....

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... passion while still encompassing an air of morality. In the end, the Civil Rights Movement eventually prevails, marking a victory for the message the SNCC Freedom Singers wanted to convey to the public.

Works Cited

Heller, Joseph. “The Soldier Who Saw Everything Twice”. Catch-22. c. 1955. Rpt. in Dimensions of Culture 3: Imagination. Ed. Cancel, Rouse, and Serlin. San Diego: University Readers, 2010. 223. Print.

Newton, Huey and Seale Bobby. “The Black Panther Platform: What We Want, What We Believe”. C. 1966. Rpt. in Dimensions of Culture 3: Imagination. Ed. Cancel, Rouse, and Serlin. San Diego: University Readers, 2010. 183. Print.

SNCC. “Which Side Are You On?”. SNCC Freedom Singers. Internet. c. 1963.

Takaki, Ronald. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company, 1993. 375. Print.

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