Chris Vallillo

Oh Freedom! Songs of the Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement has been described as one of the greatest singing movements that this country has experienced.  From “We Shall Overcome” to “This Little Light of Mine,” music played a vital role as an inspirational rallying point and as a way to spread the message of equality and justice.

From the Freedom Riders to the jails of Montgomery Alabama and Parchman Prison all the way to Washington, DC, old and new songs of the era spoke of the yearning for equal rights: the struggle and the determination to win freedom.  Music engaged and energized the movement locally and nationally, becoming the backbone of the nonviolent civil disobedience movement led by Dr. King and others.

In a show created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement, award-winning Illinois folksinger Chris Vallillo performs pivotal songs from the music that inspired and sustained this landmark movement.  Intermixed with the music, Vallillo presents first-hand accounts of the historic struggle and discusses the impact of music to one of our nation’s most important social causes.

The show is performed on multiple instruments (acoustic and electric guitars, dobro, steel guitar, and Mandolin plus vocals) and includes historically accurate first-person accounts of the music and how it impacted the Civil Rights Movement.

Program Logistics

The presentation takes approximately 60 minutes, including a Q and A with the audience. No equipment is required since the speaker will bring his own sound equipment. However, if a projector and screen are available, the speaker will share images.