Nina Simone & the Civil Rights Movement: Protest at Her Piano, Audience at Her Feet

Abstract

American pianist, vocalist, songwriter, and activist Nina Simone (1933-2003) played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement and yet many historical accounts of the area have snubbed her. Bringing into clearer focus the intense and problematic commitment of Simone’s identity as a musician to the protest identity of the Civil Rights Movement, this essay will examine Simone as an icon, her songs in historical context, and her audiences over the years. Her concerts, which continued until the last year of her life, make for a fascinating public record of her turbulent relationship with fans during and after the turbulent 1960s.