Charles Neblett facts for kids

Charles "Chuck" Neblett (born 1941) is an important civil rights activist. He is best known for helping to start and being a member of The Freedom Singers, a group that used music to support the Civil Rights Movement.

Early Life and Fighting for Rights

Charles Neblett grew up in Cairo, Illinois. From a young age, he cared deeply about the Civil Rights Movement. This movement was a big effort to end unfair treatment and gain equal rights for African Americans.

He first noticed unfairness when he saw that schools for Black children received less money than schools for white children. In 1955, when Charles was 14, a young Black boy named Emmett Till was tragically murdered. This event made Charles realize that Black people were not treated fairly and did not have the same rights as white people. He felt strongly that he had to join the movement. "It was like I got religion," he said.

Charles went to Southern Illinois University. There, he joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This group worked to end unfair treatment through peaceful protests. Charles successfully protested unfair housing rules at the university. He spoke to the university president, who made changes the very next semester. After this, Charles realized, "we could make a difference."

The Freedom Singers: Music for Change

The Freedom Singers were a music group created by SNCC in 1962. Their goal was to use songs to share the message of the Civil Rights Movement and raise money for SNCC. The group started with four members in Albany, Georgia. Charles Neblett sang bass. He performed with Rutha Mae Harris (soprano), Bernice Johnson (alto), and Cordell Reagon (tenor).

Their first tour was very busy, lasting from December 1962 to August 1963. They sometimes sang three concerts a day! They performed in many places, like parties, churches, protest marches, universities, and even jails. The Freedom Singers were very important because they helped SNCC raise a lot of money.

Being a member of the group was not always safe. Even in northern states, they sometimes faced angry groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, during their concerts.

The group sang "freedom songs." These were songs written or changed to fit the movement's message. Some famous songs they sang included "We Shall Overcome", "We Shall Not be Moved", and "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize".

After their first big tour, the original group broke up, but other singers continued their work. The original four members reunited several times after the 1980s and remained lifelong friends.

As a Freedom Singer, Charles Neblett traveled over 100,000 miles through more than forty states. In 1963, the group performed at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

More Ways Charles Neblett Fought for Rights

Charles Neblett was a SNCC field secretary from 1961 to 1966. This meant he worked directly on the ground, organizing and supporting civil rights efforts.

In 1964, he was part of a group that went to a meeting in Atlanta. They thought it was a conference, but it turned out to be a meeting of Ku Klux Klan leaders. Charles Neblett and two friends, Carol Ableman and Matt Jones, were separated from their group. They were surrounded by the crowd. Charles tried to escape, but people started hitting him. Police officers did not stop the violence. Charles and Matt Jones were hurt and taken to the emergency room.

Charles Neblett was arrested 27 times for his involvement in the movement. While in jail, he faced very tough conditions. He found strength by singing and even wrote songs during this time.

In later years, Charles worked in the "Black Bottom Historic District" in Russellville, Kentucky. He helped save homes of Black Civil War veterans. He also helped young people research their family history related to the Civil War. He became the first Black person elected as a magistrate (a type of judge) in Logan County, Kentucky.

Family Life

Charles and his wife, Marvinia, have four children: Khary, Kwesi, Komero, and Kesi. Charles's brother, Chico Neblett, also took part in peaceful protests in Illinois.

Chico Neblett was a leader for the Boston Black Panther Party for a time. He and Rene Neblett later left the party because their beliefs, which came from their SNCC background, were different from the party's ideas.

Later Contributions

In 2010, Charles Neblett was honored by being inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame. That same year, he attended the Smithsonian's 44th Annual Folklife festival.

In 2014, he was a special guest of President Barack Obama at the White House. Charles Neblett sang with Rutha Mae Harris, Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Toshi Reagon (Bernice and Cordell Reagon's daughter). Cordell Reagon had passed away by this time. Charles also helped Michelle Obama lead a workshop for about 200 children, including Sasha and Malia Obama. Charles was very touched by his visit to the White House. He said he "realized the work done in the past was actually respected."