My husband wasn’t back from his business trip. It was Friday night. I wanted to go out.
After perusing the paper, I decided to go see a documentary at one of our local art houses. Ah kismet. I found myself sitting with a handful of people at a showing of Pete Seeger:The Power of Song.
I admit to being a half-hearted hippie type in the day, at least after Kent State, when I finally figured out where Viet Nam was. But I really didn’t know that much about Seeger.
I didn’t know he got kicked out of Harvard for joining the Communist Party. I didn’t know he fought in World War II.I didn’t know he spent much of his early life bringing labor songs to as wide an audience as possible. I didn’t know of his connection to Paul Robeson. Nor did I know that the U.S. government had killed his career for nearly two decades, despite the fact that he had long renounced his Communist affiliation.
There was a quiet dignity to Seeger that came through in the film, whether he was singing or answering questions before the House Unamerican Activities Committee. There was grace in the face of adversity. There was strength and tenacity without any outward sign of bitterness. His character seemed so rare and so grounded that it took my breath away.
Grounded. Yes, he lives close to the earth in a cabin he and his wife, Toshi, built themselves. He is surrounded by the rainbow family of his children and grandchildren. There is a sense of peace.
Perhaps most amazing, Seeger’s mission was not to be a star. He was deeply involved in social justice issues and he was motivated by a need to nourish music – music of the people, by the people. He has lived out his mission with joy and integrity. While black- listed, he spent time teaching music to children in camps and schools. He quit the successful group, The Weavers, when they decided to make a cigarette commercial. He did not try to force his values on others; he was too busy living them himself.
Seeger is a man who thrives on building community. During his concerts, his intention is to get everyone singing, raising their voices as one in simple, tuneful songs that resonate in the heart.
As the film unfolded the arc of his life to date, it showed the wars, the unrest, the injustices that Seeger and our country faced. Sometimes it feels like the crises we are currently facing are unique. Sometimes it feels like we are facing battles that were never faced before. It may feel that way, but it is not true. People have been standing up for justice for as long as there have been people.
The thing that struck me most about the film was the way that community and art intersected to support and expand the social movement. We are building communities currently through the internets. But I must say I miss the physical coming together and I miss the art. Standing together singing the poetry of “Turn, Turn, Turn” or “We Shall Overcome” may seem as quaint as the Geneva Convention these days, but I miss the camaraderie. I miss the music.
In any case, if you get a chance to see this film, I think it is one you won’t soon forget.
