Remembering Dr. King: We Were Black, Too

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Mavis Staples, one of the great voices of American music, appeared in concert January 14 at the University of California, Davis, just a few miles from where I live in Sacramento. Staples performed songs from her 2007 album, We'll Never Turn Back, a collection of songs associated with the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Backed by a trio fronted by guitarist Rick Holmstrom and two singers—one was her sister Yvonne—Staples rocked and inspired the audience of about 1,100 people.

Before her concert, Staples talked to an interviewer in front of an audience about the role of music in the Civil Rights movement; the involvement of her family group (the Staple Singers) in the movement; and her memories of Dr. Martin Luther King. Here are some of Staples’ comments.

On being asked why her family got involved in the movement: “We were black, too. We wanted injustice to be eradicated. We wanted to have our rights. We wanted to drink from a fountain that didn’t have a ‘for colored only’ sign. We were very much a part. We were proud to be a part of it. This was our plight.”

On how the Staple Singers started working with Dr. King: “We first met Dr. King in 1960 in Montgomery, Alabama. We were on the road and Pops took us to Dr. King’s church to hear him preach. Pops had heard him on the radio but none of the rest of us had. After we got back to the hotel, Pops called my sisters and me into his room and said, ‘Listen, y’all. I really like this man’s message. And I think that if he can preach it, we can sing it.’ That’s when we began writing freedom songs like ‘It’s A Long Walk to D.C.’ It wasn’t hard to write a freedom song. Just watch the news or read the paper—there were your lyrics. Dr. King’s favorite song of ours was ‘Why Am I Treated So Bad.’”

On what she remembers most about Dr. King: “I hold on to his laughter, the sound of his laughter. Whenever I saw him, it seemed like he was either looking serious or he was looking sad. But when I’d hear him laugh, I knew he was happy. Before a big meeting, the men would all stand around outside talking. When they’d laugh, Dr. King was always the loudest. He had a good laugh. And I’d think, ‘Good, Dr. King is happy today.’”

And finally, on her father’s name, Roebuck: “Pops was born into a big family. He was the 14th child. And they had run out of names by the time they got to number 13. So numbers 13 and 14 were named Sears and Roebuck…That Uncle Sears was crazy.”

Vintage Staple Singers-Why am I treated so bad
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