We Shall Overcome: Sacred Song on the Devil's Tongue: The Story of the most Influential song of the 20th Century, how it became "We Shall Paperback - 2012 - 2nd Edition

From the publisher

EVERYTHING you think you know about the history of "We Shall Overcome" is WRONG. This is the true, shocking, and previously untold story of the iconic freedom and protest anthem, "We Shall Overcome," and the journey of discovery leading to the identity of its true original author, Louise Shropshire. - A sharecropper's daughter and self-proclaimed "nobody", who through dedication to God, country and her fellow man, overcomes racism and poverty to find herself in the inner-circle of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey and, the African American Civil Rights Movement. Along her way, Shropshire composes and copyrights a popular Gospel-hymn, which after decades of being interpreted freely in churches and rallies around the country, is hijacked by powerful music-industry figures known to insiders as the "Folk Mafia". Without her authorization, Shropshire's sacred song is then unlawfully copyrighted by Pete Seeger's powerful publisher, The Richmond Organization, then peddled for untold millions all over the globe by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen and, others. Featuring more than 100 extraordinary photographs, this well sourced and cited compendium not only describes the disturbing details surrounding the misappropriation of We Shall Overcome, but also explores the historical attitudes of Black-exploitation, subjugation and, racism in America by non culture-bearers. -Attitudes that enabled such an unthinkable act to occur in the first place and remain unchallenged for more than half a century. Although the US Library of Congress has called, "We Shall Overcome", "The Most Powerful Song of the 20th Century", Louise Shropshire would die penniless and unrecognized for her historic contribution.

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