In May I went to Mississippi to shoot the first portion of my documentary (An Ordinary Hero) on my mother who was Civil Rights Activists in the 60s. She was very active - or at least enough to be attacked by mobs, have her life threatened by the Klan and put on death row in the most notorious prison in the country.
While there I had the priviledge to meet a lot of amazing people but probably my favorite was meeting Rutha Harris. Ms. Harris was one of the SNCC Freedom Singers and a voice I grew up hearing all of my life on old vinyl records. She sang old Civil Rights Songs and what are known as Negro Spirituals.
One of my favorite songs is "Oh Freedom" a Spiritual with the phrase "And before I'll be a slave I'd be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free." After being introduced by my mother I took the opportunity to ask if I could sing with her right there in the hotel lobby (I would never have the chance again so I might as well go for it, right?).
So, here's me, a little starstruck, singing with Rutha Harris:
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