Six decades after the death of musician and actor Nat King Cole, his songs remain popular. What is less acknowledged than the mark he made on American music is how he challenged the status quo and contributed to the Civil Rights Movement.

University of Dayton sacred music scholar Donna M. Cox writes that Cole was “not just a groundbreaking musician but also a quiet, resolute advocate for social justice.” He refused to perform in Las Vegas when faced with blatant discrimination, forcing hotel management to back down.

After being attacked onstage during a 1956 performance in Birmingham, Alabama, Cole recorded a protest song. “We Are Americans Too” is a powerful statement of “belonging and a challenge to racial exclusion,” Cox writes. It was perhaps the only tune he recorded that was “specifically political.”

And Nat King Cole’s success paved the way for future generations of Black artists to record their own hits and to speak up when they feel the need.

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