[Ads-l] Antedating of "We Shall Overcome"

Wed Dec 10 20:05:45 UTC 2025

Maybe Bill Mullins might consider writing up an
item for publication concerning his work
on We Shall Overcome.  American Speech would
be a logical journal to submit it to.

Just a thought.

Gerald Cohen

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapiro, Fred <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, December 7, 2025 7:15 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Antedating of "We Shall Overcome"

Wow, this is a pretty significant discovery by Bill Mullins.  The Black gospel songwriter Charles A. Tindley wrote a song titled "I''ll Overcome Some
Day" in 1901.  In 1946 a Black organizer named Lucille Simmons introduced a=
 labor song titled "We Will Overcome" with similar lyrics.  The great folksinger and political activist Pete Seeger was then credited with making the small but crucial adjustment of changing the word "will" to "shall" and with the title "We Shall Overcome" the song became the most important protest song of all time.  The "shall" change has been a notable part of Seeger's legacy.

Now Bill has found that Tindley had already come up with "shall" by 1902, and also at that time come up with "we" rather than "I."  I am forwarding his discovery to the Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of African American English, of course giving full credit to Bill.

Fred Shapiro

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Bill M=
ullins <amcombill at HOTMAIL.COM>
Sent: Sunday, December 7, 2025 2:29 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Antedating of "We Shall Overcome"

. . . and I posted this without yet seeing Fred's follow-up.

Sigh.

________________________________
From: Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 7, 2025 1:18 AM
To: American Dialect Society <ads-l at listserv.uga.edu>
Subject: Antedating of "We Shall Overcome"

1902 The News Journal  11 Jan 3/3

After the delicacies of the season had been served, the Rev. C. A. Tindley =
sang "We Shall Overcome Some Day," and thanked Miss Johnson in behalf of th=
e managers for their kindness in remembering the aged of the race.

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There is a recording of the song in 1952 by the Jewish Young  Folk Singers =
with the "We Shall . . ." title.

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1952 Washington Afro American 23 Aug 18/2

The reverse side features the Jewish Young Folk-Singers, conducted by Bob D=
eCormier, in a moving presentation of the spiritual, "We Shall Overcome," w=
ith Miss Duncan as featured soloist with the chorus.

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