"We Shall Overcome"

The history behind the Civil Rights Movement's iconic song.

From Blank on Blank...

The question today: just how does a popular song become more than just hit? How does it come to define an era and carve out a prominent place in American history? Well, our contributor Josh Baron got an answer when he spoke with folk music legend Pete Seeger. They talked over the phone and Seeger was still going strong past 90 years old. 

Back in 1963, Pete Seeger recorded the song “We Shall Overcome.” He played it during a famous concert at Carnegie Hall. This just weeks before the March on Washington. And the song proved to be a huge hit for Seeger. But Seeger says this anthem of the civil rights movement has many fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters.