We Shall Overcome
With roots in African-American gospel music, “We Shall Overcome” became an anthem of the American civil rights movement. It was commonly sung at protests, including the 1963 March on Washington, and Martin Luther King, Jr. recited its lyrics in his final sermon, days before his 1968 assassination. As a powerful symbol of hope for liberation, “We Shall Overcome” was incorporated into civil rights struggles around the world. It went on to be sung by apartheid-era prisoners in South Africa, Catholics protesting for equal rights in Northern Ireland, and protestors in Prague during the Velvet Revolution. The song has been translated to Persian by Tavaana.
O Freedom
The spiritual song “O Freedom” is thought to have come into being soon after the end of slavery in the United States. The song expresses the hope for liberation, in the world to come after death or in the present. Like “We Shall Overcome,” “O Freedom” became an anthem of the civil rights movement. On the morning of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, singer Joan Baez opened the day’s events with a rendition of this song, which has been translated to Persian by Tavaana.
Tavaana Publication Click here to read Tavaana’s exclusive translation of “We Shall Overcome” and “O Freedom.”
