Songs of Slavery & Emancipation/ Various - Songs of Slavery & Emancipation (Various Artists)

"To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds." - Frederick Douglass. The 'Songs Of Slavery and Emancipation' project presents recently discovered songs composed by enslaved people and explicitly calling for resistance to slavery. Some originate as early as 1800 and others as late as the outbreak of the Civil War. The project also includes long-lost songs of the abolitionist movement, some of which were written by fugitive slaves as well as free black people, challenging common misconceptions of abolitionism. Thirty one songs are presented in a double CD containing new performances in a traditional style.  An accompanying 80 page liner notes includes complete lyrics as well as reproductions of historic documents.  The liner notes also include essays by producer Mat Callahan, scholar Robin D.G. Kelley and activist organizer Kali Akuno. A companion full length book documents the sources of these newly released songs, as well as providing historic context. The CDs and book will be published in June 2022 by the University Press of Mississippi in conjunction with Jalopy Records.