Advisory Committee Chair
Natasha Zaretsky
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Barbara Dane is best understood as an unsung hero of the New Left and Folk Revival because since her graduation from high school in 1945, she has used every resource at her disposal to support and grow various movements. She has picketed for the labor movement, canvassed for the Progressive party, traveled to Mississippi to perform for the civil rights movement and SNCC, marched for peace as part of the anti-war movement, and performed and advocated for the Feminist movement throughout her lifetime. Dane has traveled the globe from war-torn Prague in 1947, Cuba in 1966, and Northern Vietnam in 1974, all in support of the global New Left and progressive movements of the 20th century. The life of Barbara Dane tells the story of the rise of various movements across the United States. Dane was also a contributor to the folk genre as she participated in sparking the genre in the Mid-West, West Coast, and in Cuba with her performances alongside some of the greats American performers, such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Louis Armstrong, and Jane Fonda. She did this all in the name of bringing the folk genre to mainstream America and to garner support for her various movements. The life of Barbara Dane is the life of regular protest that tells the story of the various movements and musical revivals of the 20th century.
Recommended Citation
Kennedy, Jacob, "Barbara Dane: The Forgotten Activist" (2024). All ETDs from UAB. 3888.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3888