The sixties were filled with turmoil, war, protests, and political murder, but it was also a time of love, peace and great music. The social issues of the times were reflected in music of all genres. In rock and roll many artists expressed their opposition to the Vietnam War while Soul Music reflected the struggle of African American’s fight for Civil Rights and equality. Folk music often times had a message of love and peace and offered a utopian outlook. Yet all of these genres of music contributed music and artists to help protest against the vulgar racial injustice of the sixties. Some artists were more vocal about social and political issues than others and pursued social justice through their music. Artists such as James Brown, Marvin…show more content… Sam Cooke, used a certain technique in his music in order to have crossover appeal while still keeping the important political message intact. These artists were hugely popular and had written music that not only encompassed the collective conscience of the black community but also had crossover appeal. They also had a white audience at a time when there was a massive racial rift in America. One could argue that some of their music transcended the racial divide while at the same time, it galvanized the black community. There were many songs that epitomized the civil rights era of the sixties and none were more significant than “We Shall Overcome”. This song originally was a church hymn that was adopted by the leaders of movement for spiritual faith in the face of great adversity. Most of the original freedom fighters in the civil rights movement were based in the church, so their songs were a lot like church hymns. The hymn tunes and the style of singing conformed to the style of praying in the many African-American churches, often relying on the call and response style. Spiritual music was very influential in the civil rights…show more content… Many “freedom songs” such as "We Shall Not Be Moved" and "Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Set on Freedom", were used in the for inspiration and in films about the movement and soul also played an integral part. In the early 1960s, groups such as the SNCC Freedom Singers (Student Non Violent Coordinating Committee) incorporated soul songs into their repertoire. For many on the staff of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the protests in Albany, Georgia, proved an important training ground in which to learn the techniques for mobilizing the dormant black populace of the Deep South. Perhaps of greatest importance, they became more aware of the cultural dimensions of the black struggle, quickly recognizing the value of freedom songs to convey the ideas of the southern movement and to sustain morale. Bernice Reagon, an Albany student leader who joined SNCC’s staff, described the Albany Movement as ‘‘a singing movement.’’ Singing had special importance at mass meetings, Reagon observed: “After the song, the differences among us would not be as great’’ (Reagon, ‘‘In Our