I’m betting you didn’t catch this two years ago.
Left to Right: Toshi Reagon on guitar joining her mother: Bernice Johnson Reagon, Charles Neblett and Rutha Harris: three of Original SNCC Freedom Singers. The late Cordell Reagon was the fourth.
And of course when Bernice says “my hometown” she’s talking about Albany, Georgia.
Anita, this is so moving, so glad you posted this! The first words out of Bernice’s mouth referenced Reverend Wells, whom we used to sit and listen spellbound in the mass meetings. Then “aint Going to Let Nobody Turn Me Around” sung in the churches and on the marches, as when Rev Wells paused or ended up. History is so strange and yet so simple–here is the President and first family and all the dignitaries and officials sitting listening to the Freedom Singers’ rendition of all that immediate history! Could we have ever imagined in a million years back then that such an event as this one in a few years was going to be taking place? If all those dignitaries could ever imagine how it was in the churches when Bernice and the Singers were singing back in those days with segregation and the Law with guns all around eager to put a stop to it. Think how brave she was back then. I love it when she stops the singing and tells the audience “Hey, sing along, you might need this song one day!” Music is so mysterious isn’t it–how it spans the ages . My goodness, seeing Rutha, Chuck Neblett, and Bernice in the White House is so wonderful, so powerful, hard to take it in! All that is missing is Cordell, he was a great guy. Man would he have been knocked out to ever imagine such an event at the White House!
Hey, anybody thinking about not bothering to vote next Novermber . . . ?
Yes Pete, thanks for commenting. Amen to everything you said, as usual. We’re so lucky you’re following the blog because YOU WERE THERE, TOO!!! So your comments are always full of insight.
Of course I second everything Peter said. It was so wonderful to return to Albany for the 50th Anniversary of the Movement (other than it made you realize how damn old you were). It is also very heartening to know how many of the original SNCC kids continue to be involved in so many other political activities trying to make this Nation live up to its promises. And Yes Peter, if we told people back then that this would happen in our lifetime they would have had us committed as delusional. It is so sad that Chuck and so many others like C. B. King and Randy Battle didn’t live to share this joy. And thank you Anita for keeping us all remembering what a time it was and for keeping so many attached in this common thread.
And we need it now.