Odetta was not only a musical artist, but she was also a formative voice of the Civil Rights Movement.
Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1930 and raised in Los Angeles, Odetta Holmes combined her classical training and a deep sense of purpose to her brand of folk, blues, and spirituals.
During the 1960s, Odetta’s music became synonymous with the fight for civil rights and was a soundtrack of resistance. She lent her voice to rallies, marches, and mass meetings organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a youth-led organization. SNCC activists sang her songs to boost morale during sit-ins and protests. Her performances inspired the development of Freedom Songs which combined traditional Black spirituals with the urgency of the civil rights fight.
During the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Odetta performed “I’m On My Way,” transforming an old spiritual into a call for justice. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would later describe her as *“the Queen of American folk music.”*
