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| Pete Seeger '36 in Brown Auditorium, 2008 |
Of course, Pete was a giant in folk music. He wrote, or had a hand in writing, such folk standards as Where Have All the Flowers Gone, If I Had A Hammer, Turn, Turn, Turn, and We Shall Overcome, among many, many others. Pete’s music always had a social conscience. In his early years, he sang the songs of the Labor Movement with the Almanac Singers and then The Weavers. He also consistently lent his voice (and his banjo) to the struggles for Civil Rights {We Shall Overcome}, Peace {Bring ‘Em Home} and Environmental Responsibility {Sailing Down My Golden River}. For many, his Vietnam-era songs such as “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” are particularly poignant today.
Frankly, however, the category “Things To Admire In Pete Seeger’s Life” contains much more than musical brilliance and socially conscious songs. Throughout his life, Pete demonstrated extraordinary courage and commitment to justice. In the 50s, he stood up to the notorious House Committee on Un-American Activities, telling them I am not going to answer any questions as to my associations, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially under such compulsion as this. I would be very glad to tell you my life if you want to hear of it. A Just Man living in an Unjust Society, Pete was ultimately convicted of Contempt of Congress, sentenced to a year in jail, and blacklisted for 17 years. In the 60s, Pete decided to launch a campaign to clean up the Hudson River. Using the sloop Clearwater as his platform, he has succeeded to a remarkable degree – mostly by calling attention to the problem and by inspiring a grass-roots movement in response.
Pete Seeger changed millions of lives with his music and his activism. He did it without compromising his values and without fear for his own reputation or safety; he did it with boundless optimism and the conviction that there is nothing the people cannot accomplish, and he did it by bringing people together, recognizing the value in each of us and in all of us, and by inspiring us with his commitment, his vision, and his song.
In Pete Seeger's life there is much much for us to admire, to celebrate, and to seek to emulate. The world is in fact a better, brighter place because of him.
