To Sit at the Welcome Table

Yesterday I gave a presentation on African American music of the Civil Rights Era at a local High School. I have such passion for this music and historic time period. I often say you can read a book about a given historic time but it would likely have been written by someone who was not there. A factual account with names and dates you are expected to memorize. Or you can sing the songs that were written by the people who went through those times first hand. Songs that grew out of their hardships and struggles.  These songs I taught expressed their outrage over the injustice and yearning for radical change in the nation. When you sing them, you can feel the emotions of the people and how it must have felt to live through their struggle.

Most of the songs are from the Negro Spirituals and Gospel traditions that were brought back during the Civil Rights Era and the words changed to express their new message.  Here are some of the songs we all sang; "We Shall Not Be Moved, " "We Shall Overcome," "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," "This Little Light of Mine,"

I think one of my favorites was one that is not as known but was sung by the Freedom Singers Gospel group called, 'I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table." The words are:

"I'm gonna sit at the welcome table
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, hallelujah
I'm gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days."

This song seems so simple but what a powerful message when you think that black people were not welcome in so many places. To declare, "I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table," was a bold thing to say back in the Civil Rights Era.

Other verses are "I'm gonna be a registered voter," "I'm gonna sit at the Woolworth Counter." For me these verses are so revealing. Can you imagine not being able to vote just because of the color of your skin? Do believe this happened in my lifetime?  And to think that black people were not allowed to eat in most restaurants (hence the Woolworth reference). It is just mind boggling.

We've come a long way since those times but as we see in the news, racism is not over. It is my hope  that in singing of the songs yesterday with young people, a seed was planted in their hearts. It is my hope they will stand up against injustice and continue the work that has been ongoing for many years now.