Throughout the 1960’s the Civil Rights movement by African Americans aimed to dismantle systemic racism, segregation, and disenfranchisement, especially in the Southern states. Throughout these times many achievements such as the Brown v. Board Of Education in 1954, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  The rise of Motown Records label by its founder Berry Gordy a black businessman, Motown music would be the soundtrack of the civil rights movements throughout the 1960’s as Motown songs represented the message of love, unity, and equality, which was the basis of the civil rights movement and its notion at the time. As the Calendar Around The Nation highlights songs such as “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye and “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the Vandellas became one of the many anthems for the movement. The Motown Records label would also help the political spectrum at the time with the Black Forum label, as this label was created to amplify the voices of many black people in society, especially surrounding the civil rights movement, as the label would also include influential figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes, and Elaine Brown. Thus the goal of this paper is to underscore how the Motown Records Label helped the civil rights movement by providing a unifying, empowering, and powerful force among black people and spreading the message of the civil rights movement throughout the world.  

The origin of Motown would begin in 1959, as it was founded by Berry Gordy Jr, in Detroit, Michigan. This would be paramount during the timer period, as Motown Records Label would become the first exclusively black-owned label that was successful which would revolutionize the music industry. Gordy’s ambition of providing black artists a platform for them to perform their music helped create the Motown music which would go on to become a paramount genre of music that would accelerate the civil rights movement towards advancement. This would become the center of Motown’s Record label and the pride of Berry Gordy as one of the few black businessmen of the time, as he would strengthen the presence of African Americans in the music industry and aid their success.  

The “legacy of Motown,” says company founder Berry Gordy, “is its body of music.”2 A sampling of that body of music, or more accurately body of records, is shown in an area of the museum where album covers are mounted on the walls. Many are hit R&B and Soul records by stars like the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Four Tops, Miracles, Mary Wells, Martha & the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, and other artists whose voices and images became synonymous with “Motown ” .(Sykes 1)  

Gordy’s action of giving those influential and paramount artists a platform would become highly significant towards the civil rights movement, as songs made by Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye with his song What’s Going On? This, however, would require great effort from the founder of Motown as he would make it so that the roster of artists are all talented, respectable, and significant black artists who would benefit the music industry at the time and also Gordy’s social challenges he faced for being a black businessman who was excepted to take a more political approach on the problems of racism at the time.  

Gordy’s desire to be unaffiliated in politics was evident in the beginning of Motown music as black artists would attempt to appeal to white audiences at the time and mimic the genre of Blues music, under Gordy’s instruction to not be overtly political. This would be met by Backlash against Gordy as he would face the challenge of being a black businessman who wouldn’t participate in the civil rights movement, which was one of the major social challenges that he faced. This would become an unfavorable beginning in the rise of Motown yet, it would quickly change as Motown would face major changes as time went on and they gained fame.  

“Motown did its best, at least in the early days and at least on its banner label, to make rhythm and blues palatable to white audiences and to avoid overt political statements at all costs… What Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy promoted as the “Sound of Young America”  was for me the soundtrack of an initiation into the attraction of difference. (Keizer 2)  

This text highlights how Berry Gordy had his first political shift which would go on to reverberate throughout the Motown music genre as Motown music would become much more political, especially throughout the civil rights movement. As songs such as “War” by Edwin Star and the most coherently political one would be Wonder’s 1966 cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In the Wind”. These songs highlighted the alternating social and political shift of the Motown music label as it would go on to contain a message of civil rights movements and the fight against racism that was rampant at the time. This would be a significant step because it would allow Berry Gordy to shine as a revolutionist who wanted change for his community, and who would also nurture a few of the greatest civil rights activists/singers throughout the civil rights movement. This would be a great contrast to Gordy’s prior intention of not participating in politics and publishing music that appealed to the majority of audiences at the time, which were white audiences that appreciated Blues music. This political change would go on to motivate many future civil rights activists to come and vocalize their dissatisfaction with a society that was full of discord, confusion, and hate at the time.  

The essence of Motown music would originate from the spiritual, cultural, and philosophical traditions of the African American people. The music exhibits the African community’s decades of suffering, resilience, and hope. It also highlights how classical philosophies and African spiritual practices throughout African American church and soul music. This further clarifies how music was a representation of the African American community’s history of suffering, pain, and inequality and it highlights why Motown was shown to be a suitable front for the civil rights movements during the 1960’s. This would help cement the legacy and importance of Motown music for the people to follow and understand its influence on the African Community.  

Consider the music and underlying truths of the legendary Motown Sound. There have been many book-length musical studies of Motown Records, its artists, recordings, and popular success, the best of them being author Nelson George’s “Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise And Pall Of The Motown Sound” (White 1).  

The sound of Motown would be the essence of centuries of genres that inspired Motown itself, such as gospel, pop, and blues most of which have a pertinent origin within the African community. Such as gospel music which would be sung in African churches in America and would carry a great deal of context on the injustice that the African community faced, which they would express throughout their songs and lyrics at the time as a form of protest and prayer to God against the injustice they faced. This would be the aspect of Motown music and its rich and deep history within the African community, that would go on to rightfully become the force that pushes for the justice of the African American community against racism.  

The evolution of the Motown music style genre is important to scrutinize because it helps us understand how former black artists contributed to the genre of Motown music throughout the time. The origin of Motown music and the connection to the soul music of the African American community, such as relating it to African church music with the relevance of musicians such as Little Richard. This is important for us to understand because it helps us realize how Motown music producers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland would compose for artists like The Supremes, Martha, and the Vendellas. Also, other composers such as Norman Whitefield and The Funk Brothers would inspire and give rise to the Motown music style genre and its iconic beats that would give Motown the fame it deserved. While the genre of Blues music was a highly controversial topic because it was called The Great Robbery as many people would say that it was stolen from African singers by White musicians at the time.  

The argument proceeds from the understanding that the originators and the major innovators of the blues were African Americans—Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Professor Longhair, and so on. To whom does this cultural and artistic heritage belong? Who are Robert Johnson’s legitimate cultural and artistic heirs and conservators? (Rudinow 131).  

This text highlights how the evolution and inspiration that Motown received have similar elements to the civil rights movement, as African American artists at the time were robbed of their ability to play their music and it was taken under the ownership of White singers. This would help evoke the idea that African Americans were competent, as although their music was stolen it still had success that the white singers monopolized for their own. These elements of Motown consist of Blues music made by people like Bessie Smith and soul music that was popularized by Little Richard who are all African American artists who were pioneers in their respective genres. This would underline the rise of Motown which would go on to become a genre that the civil rights movement was able to hold ownership of and make it an undisputed element of their culture and creativity, which would motivate all Americans regardless of race or gender. The rise of Motown music is paramount because it shows how many artists contributed to the genre’s creation throughout the years.  

The influence of Motown on civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King was undeniable. It helped make the civil rights movement easier for civil rights activists at the time because it allowed people to see Black artists perform for the first time in history. While also becoming a successful genre of music that would reach every household regardless of race, this would be greatly beneficial because it would help people to find common with one another and bring them closer to each other. They wanted to be the ‘brother of the white man, not their son-in-law’ which would be the strive that Martin Luther King aimed to do and it was helped by Motown music.  

But as soul music became institutionalized, King would come to see how it might be useful to him. In 1967 he spoke to black DJs at a convention, telling them, “School integration is much easier now that they share a common music, a common language, and enjoy the same dances.” So in June 1963, King allowed Motown to record a speech in Detroit. An estimated 125,000 people attended the rally, which raised money for the SCLC and would come to be known as the Walk to Freedom. (Chow 2)  

This showed how Motown helped civil rights activists connect more effectively with their audience because they would start to have a ‘common language, music, and dances’ which would help both cultures understand and even integrate. This would be significant, as throughout the decades the discord between Black and White Americans would be very evident and cultures would be the contrast of one another. This would make the likelihood that civil rights activists would relate to white audiences very minimal, as they wouldn’t be able to relate or understand one another. Thus the rise of Motown would provide a social evolution because it brought both of these races together than never before, as they would further understand and interact with one another.  Motown music was a powerful social factor, that helped the civil rights movement immensely. These factors would contribute to the civil rights activist, Martin Luther King who would have many interactions with the Motown Records label and would also be the front of the civil rights movement. He would have many of his speeches be influenced by Motown’s record label.  

The Black Forum label, created by Motown Label Records was a predominantly black platform for civil rights speakers who would go on to become a great figure of history throughout the civil rights movement. This label would talk about the political and social aspects throughout the 1960s from the Black American perspective and publish these speeches publicly.  

But this month, there will be a new way to hear the speech. TIME is releasing The March, a virtual reality experience that takes participants back to that day in August 1963. The experience uses original audio, available in rare fidelity thanks to an unlikely source: Motown Records. In its recording, King’s clarion voice carries without the distracting echo picked up by inferior attempts to capture it. Spectators on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial chime in audibly as King proceeds through his remarks, making listeners feel as if they’re 10 ft. from the podium. Crucially, the recording, which is also slated for rerelease for audiences today, challenges long-held notions about that day—and its story reveals King’s struggles over how best to share his words with the world..(Chow 2).  

This highlights the importance of the label because it would also go on to publish one of the most popular speeches in history, the speech by Martin Luther King I Have A Dream during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 which would go on to make history throughout the civil rights movement as the Black Forum Label would record and publish this speech to the people. This would expand the message of the civil rights movement, through the messages that were being publicized to the masses that would help people understand and respect the African community, with figures such as former Black Panther chairman Elaine Brown, and poet and music critic Amiri Baraka who are all shown to be figures within the Black Forum Label that are providing a message against inequality and prejudice that many African Americans faced. These civil rights advocates were able to convey their messages and ideas to the people throughout the Black Label Forum which was a significant contributor that helped the public in receiving these important messages that would go on to shape the history of the world positively.   

Thus it helps in understanding the significance of Motown Record Label towards the civil rights movement, since it would be the soundtrack and voice of the civil rights movement during the 1960’s and would go on to accelerate the movement toward equality and freedom that seemed far away. The company’s ability to be the platform for the civil rights movement would popularize the movement, while also giving the tools for social and political change in the hands of African Americans and help them in creating a better future for the American people.    

Work Cited Page   

1.Chow, Andrew R., et al. “A Dream Restored.” TIME Magazine, vol. 195, no. 7/8, Mar. 2020, pp. 92–95. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=141838315&site=ehost-live.  

2. 3. Chow, Andrew R. “How Martin Luther King Jr. and Motown Saved the Sound of the Civil Rights Movement.” Time.Com, Mar. 2020, p. N.PAG. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=142085725&site=ehost-live.   

3. Around the Nation.” Humanities, vol. 35, no. 1, Jan. 2014, pp. 40–44. EBSCOhost,  

4. Keizer, Garret. “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone.” Virginia Quarterly Review, vol. 89, no.        4, Fall 2013, pp. 44–59. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=90646155&site=ehost-live.  

4. Sykes, Charles E. “The Black Forum Label: Motown Joins the Revolution.” ARSC Journal, vol. 46, no. 1, Spring 2015, pp. 1–42. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=102661542&site=ehost-live.  

5. white, Timothy. “`Dancing’ Machine: Motown’s Hidden History.” Billboard, vol. 112, no. 12,    Mar. 2000, p. 3. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=2927923&site=ehost-live.  

6. Chow, Andrew R., et al. “A Dream Restored.” TIME Magazine, vol. 195, no. 7/8, Mar. 2020, pp. 92–95. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=141838315&site=ehost-live.  

7. Joel Rudinow. Soul Music : Tracking the Spiritual Roots of Pop From Plato to Motown. University of Michigan Press, 2010. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=338783&site=ehost-live.