Helping The Civil Rights Movement

During the civil rights era there were hundreds of activists and marchers that fought for their rights. Imagine being a young African American and not being able to eat at the same restaurants, or even use the same water fountain that a white person uses. Then when a march is organized to oppose this discrimination, marchers are arrested for fighting for their rights. Bernice Johnson Reagon was a civil rights activist who suffered through this discrimination like so many other African Americans.

She wanted, more than anything, to make a difference. People know Bernice Johnson Reagon as a beautiful singer, but she is also extremely praiseworthy for her civil rights activism.

Bernice Johnson Reagon is praiseworthy for the things she did for civil rights and how she used her singing to help bring people together. Helen Houston explains how Bernice attended Albany State College, where she started to participate in activism in many ways, with marching, organizing, or even singing. But, with doing participating in these things she also risked her education, because in 1962, she was arrested for one of these activities (np).

This showed the world how she was willing to give up her education to get the rights for African Americans that the white populous had. It showed how selfless she is, and that she cares about the cause of the activism. It is shown further with the knowledge that she organized many activities for this movement when attending college. Bernice saw the chance to make a difference in America, to make a difference in the world, and took it.

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She joined these marches and organized them knowing the risks. That truly makes her praiseworthy because all she cared about was making the world a better and safer place to live in.

Bernice is also praiseworthy for her dedication of singing to help with the civil rights movement. Natalie Hopkinson states that after being suspended from Albany State College, she then attended Atlanta Spelman College, but dropped out soon after. The reason that she dropped out was so she could dedicate all her time to the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, also known as SNCC, and be a part of their Freedom Singers, a singing organization (np). Bernice Reagon explains how SNCC is an organization “formed by student leaders who left their campuses to work full-time against racial injustice in the United States” (np). This shows her selflessness because it shows how she puts civil rights over herself and her education. She joined an organization which fights for a wonderful cause. The Smithsonian explains how the organization was made for people who wanted to join the movement, but did not want to be involved with the mobs or the police (“Bernice Johnson Reagon: Civil Rights Song Leader” np). The Smithsonian also discusses how James Foreman described Bernice leading people with her songs, how she “…were up front…” when it came to people being put in jail (“Bernice Johnson Reagon” np). This brave woman fought so hard for civil rights, and did several things to help with the cause. Even though she did not know the people around her, even though she was surrounded by strangers, she stood beside them during these movements. She inspired these people to march alongside her, and as she sang they sang along, a true example of someone making a difference for the world. But, she was also a part of other singing groups that focused on civil rights or praise.

Bernice Johnson Reagon was also the founder of singing groups that helped with the civil rights movement and more. Natalie Hopkinson explains that Bernice was a founder of a singing group called the Harambee Singers, who sang about the struggles of civil rights (np). She founded this group, and it shows how much she cares about this topic, that she formed a singing group that sing songs fighting for civil rights. This is praiseworthy because it helps to inform people on the subject, and it opens their eyes to the injustice in world. Then, Natalie Hopkinson also explains how Bernice found another group called Sweet Honey In The Rock, who “expanded from its civil rights base to include a variety of leftist causes, children’s audiences, feminists, an international fan base and, with the addition of a sign language interpreter in the early 1980s (more than a decade before the passage of the 1994 Americans with Disabilities Act), the deaf community” (np).

She made a singing group that expanded its audience, it shows how she understands that there are more issues in the world and that they need to be addressed. Bernice is a woman that realizes that she can help spread the word of these causes, or touch more people if they have more opportunities for them. It shows she is truly praiseworthy because it shows she wants her singing organization to be diverse, which shows she cares about the cause and what the movements mean. Bernice Johnson used her singing voice to help a cause that had an important message, it shows how she wanted change and that she worked to make that change happen. She knew that some people would not be able to participate in these movements because of issues they may have, but figured out ways for them to join still.

Bernice Johnson Reagon is truly praiseworthy for her civil rights activism. She had a beautiful voice, but she used that voice for the betterment of society. She was apart of a group that made people more involved with civil rights. She was a member of, and founded singing groups that helped spread their message of their movements, and even expand their audience to the disabled. Bernice also risked her education in order to fight for her rights, which shows her priorities are rooted in the betterment of a people, and it shows her selflessness. Bernice J. Reagon used her voice to make the world a better place, and thanks to her heroic efforts, the world as we know it has been changed for the good of all.