Candie Carawan facts for kids

Carolanne Marie "Candie" Carawan (born 1939) is an American civil rights activist, singer, and author. She is well-known for helping to make the protest song "We Shall Overcome" popular during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, along with her husband, Guy Carawan.

Who is Candie Carawan?

Candie Carawan was born Carolanne Marie Anderson in 1939 in Los Angeles, California. Her father studied rocks and the environment. From a young age, Candie became very interested in the American Civil Rights Movement. This movement worked to end unfair treatment and segregation against African Americans.

Early Life and Activism

Candie went to Pomona College. During her third year, she became an exchange student at Fisk University in Nashville. Fisk is a historically Black college, meaning it was founded to educate African American students.

At Fisk, Candie learned a lot about the challenges faced by Black people in the South. She also learned about nonviolence, which is a way of solving problems without fighting. She met important leaders like James Lawson. Candie joined in student protests to end segregation in Nashville. She was lucky because her parents were out of the country, so she didn't have to worry about their reactions.

Fighting for Change

In March 1960, Candie went to her first meeting at the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee. This center was a place where people learned about social justice and how to make changes. There, she met Guy Carawan, who she later married. She also became a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This group was made up of students who used peaceful protests to fight for civil rights.

Candie took part in "sit-ins," where people would sit at lunch counters and refuse to leave until they were served, even if they were Black and the counter was for white people only. After two weeks of these sit-ins, she was arrested and put in jail. In jail, white women were kept separate from Black women. Candie remembers that music was the only way they could connect with each other.

These sit-ins helped end segregation at lunch counters in Nashville. Candie admits she was a bit "naive" at first. She thought a few protests would quickly change everything. However, she realized that making big changes takes a lot of effort and time. She believes SNCC deserves more credit for helping people in Mississippi feel less afraid and encouraging many to join the movement.

A Voice for Freedom

After her time in the South, Candie returned to Pomona College to finish her studies. She shared what she had learned about the civil rights movement with people in California. She even convinced one of her professors to get involved. While in California, she and Guy helped organize a protest to support the Freedom Riders. These brave people rode buses into the segregated South to challenge unfair laws.

Later, Candie and Guy traveled throughout the South, living in different places like Johns Island, South Carolina, and Blackey, Kentucky. They had two children, Evan and Heather. For a while, Candie and Guy toured Europe as folk artists, sharing their music.

Since 1966, Candie and Guy have collected and published many songs from the civil rights movement. They have created several books and albums, including Ain't You got a Right to the Tree of Life?, We Shall Overcome, Voices from the Mountains, Coal Mining Women, and Sing for Freedom. These collections help keep the history and spirit of the movement alive through music.

Candie Carawan married Guy Carawan in 1961. They had two children: Heather and Evan Carawan. Today, she lives in New Market, Tennessee, and continues her important work with the Highlander Research and Education Center.