Date on Honors Thesis
Fall 12-7-2021
Major
History
Minor
Legal Studies
Examining Committee Member
Dr. Brian Clardy, Advisor
Examining Committee Member
Dr. Todd Hill, Committee Member
Examining Committee Member
Dr. William Mulligan, Committee Member
Abstract/Description
This thesis paper will provide thorough research and analysis regarding the role of music during the Civil Rights Movement. It would be the goal of this paper to answer the questions of whether or not music had an impact on the Civil Rights Movement, and if so, then in what ways and how was this conveyed through the music.This paper aims to discuss different genres of music, including but not limited to; jazz, rock, pop, blues, etc. In order to answer these questions, this paper will be analyzing songs written by artists during the movement, looking for forms of rhetoric and language that would have portrayed a story or belief that would have been relevant to the movement. This paper will also utilize primary and secondary sources such as interviews and memoirs by these artists to gain a perspective on their purposes for creating the music.
Recommended Citation
Humphrey, Nathanial, "“A Change is Gonna Come”: Music and Its Role in the Civil Rights Movement" (2021). Honors College Theses. 102.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/honorstheses/102