Mavis Staples releases new effort

Mavis Staples, who marched and sang and protested alongside Dr. Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, saw her steadfast dedication to equality and unwavering sense of hope validated on Tuesday. She writes:

“To come up in a time when there was slavery, racism, the KKK, and Jim Crow, I'm just so grateful to still be here to enjoy this historical time in our lives. It is so surreal, so completely overwhelming. This young black man has inspired and brought the country together. There's something about him that makes me feel he is the chosen one. There's something about his leadership that makes people feel calm and safe. He has inspired hopes and dreams of all people - black, white, brown or yellow. Doctor King and Pops I just know are so happy. "The Dream" is alive.”

Staples’ new record -- Mavis Staples Live: Hope At The Hideout, which also came out on Tuesday -- takes on a whole new significance in the wake of this historic win for equal rights. Recorded in June in an intimate bar in her hometown of Chicago, the record is filled with freedom songs like “We Shall Not Be Moved” and “Down In Mississippi,” gospel classics like “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and her biggest hit, “I’ll Take You There.” Since the record was recorded in the uncertainty of the run-up to the election, it could, on one hand, be taken as another token to the struggle that Staples has devoted her career, and life, to. Yet in the wake of Tuesday’s decision, the songs are suddenly a testament to the uplifting hope and certainty of success that has marked Staples’ work over the past 50+ years.

In addition to her work in the trenches, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is also no stranger to political celebrations. Staples has performed at inaugural events for John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.