Martin Luther King Jr. Day – By Word of Beth

We Shall Overcome…

When I was growing up, I didn’t have many records to listen to, but those I had I listened to over and over again. I can honestly say they helped shape the person I am today, my likes and dislikes, and more significantly, my beliefs and the mores by which I live. One such record was Pete Seeger’s We Shall Overcome which included some of the songs he sang at his 1963 Carnegie Hall concert. I was 7 when this record, Pete Seeger’s commentary about the songs, and the songs themselves, such as If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus, I Ain’t Scared of Your Jail (‘Cause I Want My Freedom), Oh Freedom, and the wonderful We Shall Overcome, began to teach me about the struggles in the Southern United States, and began to shape my world view. Those songs also made Martin Luther King, Jr. my hero.

Ellington Was Not a Street — Perfect Picture Book Friday

31 Comments / Perfect Picture Book Fridays / By Beth

Because the observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (one of my earliest heroes) is this weekend, I wanted to choose a book for this Perfect Picture Book Friday that would honor that, while still featuring some connection to the arts, which is the broader theme of my work and my blog. Since so many musicians (and writers, actors, and others involved in the arts) were a part of the American civil rights movement, I didn’t have to look far. This book pays warm tribute to many of the men (yes, there are solely men highlighted in the book) who played a part in this era in history.