Respect: Soul Music in the Civil Rights Movement

Join the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center for five days of history, culture, food, and fun in the nation’s oldest city from June 15 to 19. “Respect: Soul Music and the Civil Rights Movement” kicks off the festivities on June 15 at 4:00 pm. Gospel and folk music were important in the struggle for equality, but soul music also inspired and united Americans. Soul artists like Aretha Franklin and Florida’s own Sam and Dave and Timmy Thomas supported Dr. Martin Luther King directly, and their music and messages, along with Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield, became anthems of the movement. John Capouya, the author of the award-winning book Florida Soul, tells this important story in words, images, and stirring soul music from the 1960s and 1970s.

John Capouya is the author of three nonfiction books. His latest work, Florida Soul, traces the evolution of R&B and funk in the Sunshine State and received the Best General Interest award from the Florida Historical Society. Professor Capouya recently retired from the University of Tampa, where he taught journalism and other nonfiction writing for the graduate MFA program. He currently works with private writing clients.

The lecture will be followed by a live jazz performance with legend Marcus Click at 7:00 pm, ticketed separately. Programming is held in the Excelsior Room. Onsite parking and refreshments are available. This program will also be available virtually.

This Florida Talks program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.