A Road Scholar Program by Bucky Halker

Since the American Revolution, America has produced a wealth of notable protest songwriters whose work has captured the hearts and minds of millions of American citizens. Songs calling for armed rebellion against the British, women’s rights, the end to slavery, unions for all workers, and the end to the nuclear arms race have all enjoyed large audiences willing to sing along.

In fact, many Americans count music as the key factor in inspiring and motivating them to become social activists, to take action to improve the world. The family tree of songwriters in the protest camp since 1776 encompasses legions of known and unknown artists.

Four twentieth-century protest bards whose compositions stand out and command our attention are Joe Hill (1879-1915), Woody Guthrie (1912-1967), Bob Dylan (b. 1941), and Bruce Springsteen (b. 1949). These four writers arguably defined the modern protest song, and their combined impact continues to be heard in music around the world.

Musician and labor historian Bucky Halker‘s presentation combines musical performance and commentary as he visits a sampling of songs by Hill, Guthrie, Dylan, and Springsteen.

This event is Free and Open to the public.

For more information, please contact Catherine Barnett, 309-274-2719.