Philomath v01 February 2016 | Page 13

Listen to this!

She switched labels in 1964, which meant a change in the message of her music. She began singing to cater to the struggles of black people in society at that time, and was criticized for it.

IHer song “Mississippi Goddam” was in response to two tragic events in 1963 - the bombing of a black church in Alabama (16th Street Baptist Church) by the KKK and the murder of Medgar Evans. Radio stations not only banned the song but also broke the copies and sent them to her. Simone was not discouraged though, and made more songs about civil rights. Simone was not discouraged though, and made more songs about civil rights. Simone made all her live performances about civil rights after the incident, increasing her fan base. She also made speeches at the Selma marches organised by Martin Luther King Jr. She was an advocate for the more violent approach of gaining her rights as a black woman rather than MLK’s passive method. She believed that armed black men needed to be fight against white people. Despite her radical views we should not forget the iconic Nina Simone.