Freedom Songs: Selma, Alabama

This documentary recording chronicles civil rights protesters singing during a march from Selma, Alabama, to the State Capitol in Montgomery, to demand fair access to voting registration. The songs express hope and sorrow and a call for equality, and many of them are traditional with lyrics adapted for the protests. There are no instruments, just the voices of the demonstrators and their leaders.

On February 18th, 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson was fatally shot by an Alabama state trooper during a peaceful protest. The shooting inspired a march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7th. As the six hundred protesters reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge to cross the Alabama River, state troopers and local police blocked their path and ordered them to turn around. When the protesters refused, officers shot tear gas and beat some of the protesters with clubs. More than fifty people were hospitalized during the march, which became known as “Bloody Sunday.” A subsequent march on March 9th also was stopped, this time without violence; finally, later in March, a larger, better organized third march successfully reached Montgomery. Partially as a result of these protests, on August 6th, 1965, the U.S. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act.

This album was recorded and produced by Carl Benkert, who served as the night watchman for the marchers and made audio recordings of the third march. Benkert’s liner notes tell the story of the protesters, including lyrics to these powerful songs and riveting photographs of the march.

Track Listing

101	God Will Take Care of You / Climbing Jacob's Ladder	Hosea Williams and civil rights protestors	03:13
102	Steal Away / Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen	Hosea Williams and civil rights protestors	02:31
103	Come by Here	Civil rights protestors	01:14
104	Berlin Wall	Civil rights protestors	00:55
105	We Shall Not Be Moved	Civil rights protestors	02:01
106	Oh, Freedom	Congregation of Brown Chapel	01:11
107	If You Miss Me from the Back of the Bus	Congregation of Brown Chapel	01:02
108	Woke up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom	Congregation of Brown Chapel	01:21
109	Which Side Are You On, Boy? / Keep Your Eye on the Prize	James Orange and civil rights protestors	02:39
110	Everybody Wants Freedom	Civil rights protestors	00:41
111	Freedom Now Chant	Civil rights protestors	00:35
112	Go Tell It on the Mountain / Which Side Are You On, Boy?	Civil rights protestors	04:29
201	Oh, Wallace	Civil rights protestors	03:21
202	Get On Board	Civil rights protestors	01:35
203	Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round	Two little girls at march	01:32
204	This Little Light of Mine / Which Side Are You On? / Freedom Now Chant / Come By Here	Workers in Selma at mass for Jimmie Lee Jackson	04:44
205	We Shall Overcome	Workers in Selma at mass for Jimmie Lee Jackson	04:52
206	Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round / Freedom, Freedom, Freedom / Oh Wallace	James Orange and youth civil rights protestors	03:27
207	Which Side Are You On, Boy?	James Orange and youth civil rights protestors	02:19