Thanks to all who have posted on this thread.

Kent Davis, I found your post to be particularly thought provoking. I largely agree with your points that protest songs may be scarcer now than in the 1960s because the reasonss for the protests are different now.

I believe that the spirituals-which as M Ted has written above-were adapted first by the labor movement-would be less effective in addresssing the more subtle issues of the uneven and harsher use of the criminal justice system for Black people than for White people.
It probably is much easier to sing "we'll go to jail/jail over bail" than "end jim crow [in]justice in Jena" [which was the message written on signs held by some protestors at the September 20, 2007 Jena 6 rally].

But maybe protest songs are not integral to African American protest movements now as they were in the 1960s because the reason why the songs were sung then is not operational now. It seems to me that these adapted spirituals were sung by protestors during marches, during church and community services before the actual protest, and while protestors were in jail to boost their morale, to forge unity, to motivate, encourage, strengthen resolve, provide emotional support, and provide solace to those protestors. The Black community at large in the towns where the protestors were active needed the emotional support and motivation, strengthening of resolve etc that these songs provided since retribution for the protestors' action could be leveled against them as well as against the protestors. Also, the community was asked to support the protestors by boycotting buses and stores etc-which was another hardship for them.

With the probably exception of the families of the Jena 6 students, I wonder how much danger and negative consequences the Jena 6 protestors have had to face on that day and as a result of their participation in that rally. My sense in that the 30,000 or more people who participated in the Jena 6 rally in Louisiana and those who participated in rallies in support of the Jena 6 throughout the USA knew that they weren't in imminent risk of being jailed, or being beated by police wielding billy clubs. And these contemporary marchers didn't need to sing to keep their courage up because they weren't in danger of being attacked by police dogs and pulmetted by water from fire hoses. Also, the modern day civil rights protestors probably didn't face the possible lost of their jobs or their lives as was the case with the 1960s freedom riders and civil rights protestors in the deep South.

The civil rights songs helped to keep up people's spirits. From my reading about the Jena 6 rally, the spirits of people were already up. For instance, I've read descriptions of the mood of that event was festive.

That's the same mood that I remember feeling when I participated in the 1963 March On Washington.

I'm not discounting the power of the positive energy that is generated and felt by folks marching together for a cause. But it seems to me that civil rights songs were most needed during the smaller marches when people faced real danger and needed the energy that those songs gave.