As they are happening, events of historical importance are often taken in our stride as just another report on the evening news. When we are bombarded with the same news, night after night, with problems we can’t readily change, it is the natural human response to begin to be weary of the reports. Last night, I sat riveted to the television. I happened onto a PBS documentary that explored music in relation to the Civil Rights Movement. I was in Junior High School and in the first years of high school when violence escalated. The footage portrays the terrible violence, even against innocent children, is horrifying. One nine year old boy was stopped on his bicycle, grabbed, and castrated. There were hangings, lynchings, beatings, shootings, stabbings, burnings, tear gas attacks, provoked dog attacks, and such hatred toward people of color, it was/is unfathomable to understand. The thought occurred to me, after being so involved recently in reading about the Civil War, that at the end of that war the Black man got his “freedom” but did not get his “right” to be treated as a human being.

To see Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte and other musicians who were so well known to me in the 1960s, captured on film, brought me back to another place and time. I couldn’t and still can’t believe the hatred spawned by politicians in the south. A song was even sung about the famous/infamous Governor George Wallace.

“We Shall Overcome” may be the best known song that came out of the turmoil, an old song steeped in religious viewpoints. I recognized an old Carter family song, “Shall the Circle be Unbroken?” and many other tunes. I could not help but recall Baez’s melodic voice singing “Carry It On.” (“Every victory’s gonna bring another / Carry it on/ Carry it on/ Carry it on/ Carry it on”).

The sacrifice, in terms of human suffering, has been very great, indeed. What I liked most about the video was the representation of unity through the marching together of protestors, and in some instances, the holding of hands. The music, too, held people together in their resolution to seek the truth and the light where there was only darkness and misery. I never realized before just what horrible places Alabama and Mississippi were in the 1960s, fraught with discrimination and antagonism. I am thankful for films like this. They remind us to never go back and to never buy into prejudice, based on the uncontrollable factor of one’s born skin color.

Unfortunately, we have other unwelcome people in our midst today, according to some. With any justice at all, we can follow the suggestions of some of the “thinkers” of our time such as New York’s mayor. He suggested on “Meet the Press” that if Hispanic/Latino workers paid into Social Security but were not able to collect until they became citizens, this could be a boon to the S.S. system. He is correct. As I have written much about Immigration Reform before, I will not bore you with my thoughts. They are “on the record.” I am happy that others are still trying to find solutions. Down with the stupid notion of “white supremacy.” Hitler is dead.

Patricia Cummings