We Shall Not Be Moved/No nos moveran: Biography of a Song of Struggle - Hardcover

Spener, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1439912971 ISBN 13: 9781439912973

Publisher: Temple University Press, 2016

Synopsis

The activist anthem “We Shall Not Be Moved” expresses resolve in the face of adversity; it helps members of social movements persevere in their struggles to build a better world. The exact origins of the song are unknown, but it appears to have begun as a Protestant revival song sung by rural whites and African slaves in the southeastern United States in the early nineteenth century. The song was subsequently adopted by U.S. labor and civil rights activists, students and workers opposing the Franco dictatorship in Spain, and by Chilean supporters of that country’s socialist government in the early 1970s. 

In his fascinating biography, We Shall Not Be Moved, David Spener details the history and the role the song has played in each of the movements in which it has been sung. He analyzes its dissemination, function, and meaning through a number of different sociological and anthropological lenses to explore how songs can serve as an invaluable resource to participants in movements for social change.

About this title

About the Author:

David Speneris chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.  He is the co-author (with Moisés Chaparro and José Seves) ofCanto de las estrellas: Un homenaje a Víctor Jara and author of Clandestine Crossings: Migrants and Coyotes on the Texas-Mexico Border. He is also the co-editor (with Gary Gereffi and Jennifer Bair) of Free Trade and Uneven Development: The North American Apparel Industry after NAFTA (Temple).

Review:

“We Shall Not Be Moved/No nos moverán is the fascinating history of a famous song of struggle. Through his exploration of how floating bridges were constructed between distant communities to support and defend social justice in a variety of political contexts, Spener has made a significant contribution to the anthropology of music.”—Joaquina Labajo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
 

“We Shall Not Be Moved/No nos moverán is an intriguing and inspiring book. The story of the evolution of ‘We Shall Not Be Moved’ illuminates the significance of songs as a resource in social movements. This story teaches us a great deal about how major movements in the United States, in Spain, and in Latin America not only made history but also made culture. But there is more: This book uncovers the international structures of communication and shared identity that help constitute processes of globalization from below.”—Richard Flacks, University of California, Santa Barbara
 

About this edition

• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1439912971
• ISBN 13: 9781439912973
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 166