Rhythm+&+Blues

Rhythm and Blues

** In history class, we have been studying the time period of R&B and comparing important events in African American History to the date of some well known songs at that time. R&B came about in the early 60's. It was highly popular in the African American community. R&B derived from the genre blues and bases around songs about love, and personal problems. **

Special Events- 1. Evens:  Emmet Till was a teenager who was from Chicago, IL. In August of 1955 he went down to Alabama to visit and stay with cousins. One day he went into the local market with his cousins; on his way out the door he whistled to a white woman as a joke. She took it as no joke though, she lied and told her brother and cousin that he harassed her and made rude and inappropriate comments towards her. That night her brother and husband went to Tills’ family house. They kidnapped and beat him badly, then shot him with a shotgun in his face. They tied him down with rocks and threw him in the river. The two men never served jail time for his murder. At his funeral Tills’ mother had an open casket: “So people could see what they did to her baby”. Link: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmjustice5.html

2. The “Little Rock Nine” were a group of African American teens who changed history for the better. These 9 teenagers were the first black kids to integrate a school in Little Rock, Arkansas. On Monday, September 23, 1957 at Central High School they went to school with white kids for the first time. President Eisenhower knew that if they went to school unprotected bad things would happen. So on the first day he sent Federal Troops to protect the kids. As they walked into school things were thrown, racial slurs were said, they were even spat on. To make sure they completely a full day of school, he student had a patroller to make sure they were safe. It took time, but eventually Central became used to the “new” kids. Lin k:http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/little_rock_nine.htm

3. On June 21, 1964, three young civil rights workers were murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi. They had been working to register black voters in Mississippi during Freedom Summer and had gone to investigate the burning of a black church. They were arrested by the police falsely, in prison for several hours, and then released at night to the Ku Klux Klan, who beat and murdered them. It was later proven in court that there was a conspiracy between the Neshoba County's law enforcement and the Ku Klux Klan to kill them. The men who were convicted of this crime served no more then 6 years. Link:http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmjustice4.html

The Music- The music is a compilation of songs that we thought responded well to the above events and we also believe that these particular songs represent what R&B means quite well.



media type="file" key="11 Can You Stand The Rain.mp3" width="240" height="20" “Can you stand the rain” by New edition. media type="file" key="07 Ain_t Too Proud To Beg.mp3" width="240" height="20""Ain't too proud to beg" by the Temptations. media type="file" key="08 PYT (Pretty Young Thing).mp3" width="240" height="20"﻿ “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)” by Michael Jackson media type="file" key="01 Pretty Wings.mp3" width="240" height="20" “Pretty wings” by Maxwell media type="file" key="Say My Name.mp3" width="240" height="20""Say my name" by Destiny's Child media type="file" key="Reach Out I'll Be There.mp3" width="240" height="20"﻿ “Reach out I’ll be there” by The Four Tops media type="file" key="This Is Niecy - 05 - Free.mp3" width="240" height="20" “Free” by Denice Williams media type="file" key="I'm going down.mp3" width="240" height="20" “I’m going down” by Mary J. Blige media type="file" key="01 Rhythm Of The Night [12'' Version].mp3" width="240" height="20"“Rhythm of the night” by El Debarge media type="file" key="Sweet Thing.mp3" width="240" height="20" “Sweet thing” by Chaka Khan Feat. Rufus media type="file" key="Not My Daddy www.pinboardblog.com.mp3" width="240" height="20"“Not my daddy” by Kelly Price media type="file" key="11 This Woman's Work.mp3" width="240" height="20" “This woman’s work” by Maxwell media type="file" key="12 Listen.mp3" width="240" height="20" “Listen” by Beyoncé media type="file" key="05 Remember The Time.mp3" width="240" height="20"“Remember the time” by Michael Jackson