Pete Seeger Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.39.1a, 2011.174.39.1b, 2011.174.39.1c, and 2011.174.39.1d.

Pete Seeger recalls performing at a concert with Paul Robeson in 1949 in Peekskill, New York, visiting the Highlander Folk School, and the evolution of the song "We Shall Overcome". He remembers performing at many civil rights events, including the Selma to Montgomery March. He also discusses his thoughts on Presidents Barack Obama and Rutherford B. Hayes.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: July 22, 2011
• Created by: Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009
• Interview of: Pete Seeger, American, 1919 - 2014
• Interviewed by: Joseph Mosnier Ph. D.
• Subject of: Paul Robeson, American, 1898 - 1976
• Subject of: Highlander Folk School, American
• Subject of: President Barack Obama, American, born 1961
• Subject of: Rutherford B. Hayes, American, 1822 - 1893
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration: 57 min., 22 sec.
• Dimensions: Total: 96.54 GB
• Place collected: Beacon, Dutchess County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Peekskill, Westchester County, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Montgomery, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Politics
• Topic: U.S. History, 1961-1969
• Object number: 2011.174.39.1a-d
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.