Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement (Box Set)

It is one of the most inspiring, powerful and emotional stories in American history. Within a generation, Americans of African descent overturned several hundred years of slavery and brutally enforced segregation to win their Civil Rights. And throughout the movement, music played a role unlike any other. It did not simply generate memorable songs reflecting the time and the events, it helped lead from the frontlines. The songs of the Civil Rights movement are the subject of Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement, a stunning new 3-CD set from that will be released during Black History Month 2009. An accompanying documentary film co-produced by Time Life for PBS and TV-One will be broadcast in conjunction with the set's release in February, retelling the story both in music and dramatic first-person accounts. The documentary will them become available on DVD on March 3rd.

Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement assembles inspiring, bold and hopeful music that reflects the emotions and power of the movement. While the collection wouldn't be complete without iconic songs ("Respect," "Change Is Gonna Come," "Blowin' in the Wind," "We Shall Overcome," "Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud," "People Get Ready," "Get up--Stand up"), the curators of the set were also careful to include extremely rare recordings such as Brother Will Hairston's account of the Montgomery bus boycott, "The Alabama Bus," and Nat King Cole's unreleased protest song from that era, "We Are Americans Too."