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A poignant song performed by Billie Holiday which protests lynching and racism, often considered the first significant Civil Rights Movement anthem.

A song by Nina Simone conveying anger and impatience with the pace of the civil rights struggle, directly responding to the assassination of Medgar Evers and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

Although not a jazz song, this gospel-derived protest song became a key anthem of the Civil Rights Movement often sung at rallies and protests.

An instrumental jazz piece by John Coltrane that was a response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, conveying the tragedy and aftermath of the event.

A song by Charles Mingus that criticizes Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus for his staunch opposition to desegregation during the Little Rock Nine incident.

A jazz suite by Sonny Rollins that underscores the struggle for African Americans to attain equality and freedom in the United States.

Art Blakey's jazz album which pays homage to the Freedom Riders, civil rights activists who rode interstate buses to challenge segregated facilities.

A composition by Charles Mingus that conveys a sense of urgency and strength which can be tied to the Civil Rights Movement's push for change.

Popularized by Nina Simone, this song became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement and Black empowerment, named after a play about Lorraine Hansberry.