Anne Braden

Album: Fight With Tools (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the white journalist Anne Braden, who was a civil rights activist in the southern United States. She decided to protest against the Jim Crow laws (laws regarding racial segregation in neighborhoods). In 1954 as a method of her objection against this, Anne Braden and her husband Carl arranged to purchase a house in an all-white area of Louisville for an African-American couple, the Wades. Upon discovering that blacks had moved in, white neighbors tried to intimidate the Wades with cross burnings and bombings. Anne and her husband were charged with sedition, and Carl Braden was imprisoned for a time before the charges were dropped on payment of a bond. In 1958 Anne published a book The Wall Between, which chronicled the ordeal. It was the runner-up for the National Book Award that year.
  • This song features several audio samples of Anne Braden speaking.

Comments: 1

  • Helena from Bealeton, Albaniai LOVE this song!!! my brother got me into flobots and now there 1 of my favorite bands
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.