Greetings:

I have found that children of all ages respond really well to Freedom songs, and by all ages I mean from toddlers up through teens. You may have to shorten the songs and be careful in selecting verses when working with younger children, and you have to be prepared to take in stride the changes they will make.

Here are some songs that work particularly well:

[I Woke Up This Morning With My Mind] Set On Freedom. I just performed this with a class of about twenty-five high school freshmen, one of whom started singing "with my mind set on sleeping." I laughed and told her "very clever," before getting the class refocused.

Oh, Freedom. I usually sing the refrian this way: "And before I'll be a slave, I'll see Jim Crow in its grave, and fight for the right to be free." You might also want to try: "And before I'll be a slave, I'll see slavery in its grave, and fight for the right to be free."

[You Gotta] Do What the Spirit Says Do.

I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round.

This Little Light of Mine.

You Can't Make Me Doubt It.

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle, but with younger children you may find the lyrics to be too depressing, so instead of singing "Some say that freedom is a constant dying" or "constant sorrow" or "constant mourning," sing "Some say that freedom is a constant loving" or "constant hugging" or "constant friendship."

Then, of course, there is always We Shall Overcome. I get everyone to form a circle, crossing one's own hands in front before taking each neighbor's hand.

And finally, there is Siyahamba, the South African Freedom song. I usually change "We are marching in the Light of God" to "We are marching in the Light of Peace," unless the kids already know it the original way.

Best of luck.

--- Steve