Joan+Baez+-+F08



Joan Baez

I was born in Staten Island, New York. I come from Scottish and Mexican descent, as a child being discriminated against because of my Mexican heritage and features has lead me to my head strong ideals. This caused me to become very strong in the civil rights and nonviolence movements. I was often jailed for my protests but this makes no difference to me because I know that with war our country will make no progress. My first act of rebellion and standing for what i believed in was in high school when i refused to evacuate from the building during an emergency plane drill. I graduated from high school then attended Boston University where i began performing in nearby coffeeshops.

As a singer and song writer I have been able to express my opinions through my music, i carry the influence of youth with me. I have a strong influence on the young people of this country. Due to my background and social standing, I am not just passionate about one topic but many; such as the war, civil rights for all, and nonviolence. My works reflect what i feel about our government and what needs to be changed, a famous song that i have written that reflects this is Sweeter For Me, which is a song about a woman's lover dying overseas in the war. I performed this peace at the infamous Woodstock 69' where I made it my agenda to make political statements. I have maintianed my against-war beleifs over the years, even presently I am fighting against the war overseas.

The music business is where i met one of my very good friends, Bob Dylan. We share many similar views and we help each other out with political movements. Not only do we support each other politically but also musically, we have performed on stage together many times before. My friends also consist of other leaders from the civil rights movements of the 1970's such as; Rachel Carson and Martin Luther King Jr.

__Turbulent Years: The 1960's__. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books.

__The American Spirit.__ Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Sweeter For Me Lyrics: http://www.hitslyrics.com/j/joanbaez-lyrics-2038/sweeterforme-lyrics-253615.html

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/joanbaez/a/joan_baez.htm

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