July 12, 2026
First Parish in Wayland, Vestry
Emily Miller Mlcak, M. Jane Williamson
Americans have always sung their way toward justice. We’ll trace the living tradition of the protest song — music born not in concert halls, but on picket lines, in jail cells, and at the edges of the possible. We’ll journey through the spirituals that carried coded hope for the enslaved, the labor anthems of the early 20th century, the civil rights hymns that gave marchers courage under fire, the Vietnam-era folk voices that challenged a nation, and the hip-hop and indie anthems of our own time. And we’ll ask: What makes a song a protest? What happens when a movement claims a melody? And how do these songs continue to call us — personally and collectively — toward a more just world? The service will include congregational singing, brief reflections on each era, and an invitation to consider what songs we are called to sing today. In every age, the people have found their voice. Come add yours.