## THE SINGING ROAD

An
Outline for a Motion Picture
by
Langston Hughes

**GENERAL THEME:** A casketade of four generations, white and colored, South to North, from slavery through Reconstruction to freedom, tracing at the same time the progress of American popular music from the spirituals and field cries through the blues to jazz, and the participation of Negro musicians today in opera and the classics.

**AN OLD NEGRO WOMAN SPEAKS** to a white child and a colored child:

"...And they's like an army without banners, and they walks through the hidden swamps, and they pays no mind to barricades, and they climbs over years and months and generations, and time is a thin curtain made out of mist that don't matter. All the guns that fire can't hold them back, and the road they travels is the heart road---sometimes a secret singing road---for the heart-road is the truest road of all. It has the truest end."

### NEW ORLEANS: 1850

A white family fallen on evil days, decide to migrate inland up the river to the rich cotton raising regions of Mississippi, taking with them only their younger slaves. An ancient grandmother owned by others, wants to go with her children belonging to this family. "Buy me and take me." At a sacrifice they take her. She never forgets their kindness.

### MISSISSIPPI COTTON PLANTATION: 1860

The family prospers, but an overseer runs the plantation. Cotton and commercialism breed cruelty. The grandmother sees her sons mistreated. Revolt is planned, which she does not betray, but at the same time she protects the whites who have been kind to her. The pre-Civil War bitterness is depicted that leads to the Conflict Between the North and South. A romance between a white youth and a slave girl results in twin boys---one becoming a sort of Booker T. Washington, the other a sort of Frederick Douglass. In a fire resulting from a Union raid, the grandmother dies attempting to save the white children she cares for. They are saved with and through the help of her little Negro grand-daughter.

SINGING ROAD---2

NASHVILLE: Just after the Civil War

This grand-daughter, aided by the whites, goes to Fisk University in Nashville and becomes one of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who tour Europe with their spirituals and sing for Queen Victoria. When she returns to Mississippi on a visit, she inspires a girl cousin there to want her newest child to become a singer, too. Here begins the Leontyne Price story of a Mississippi Negro girl (aided by a white family for whom her mother cooks) who eventually becomes a star of the Metropolitan Opera.

MISSISSIPPI VILLAGE: Early 1900s

One of the twin boys has succeeded in erecting a school for Negroes, built on the bricks of compromise, but serving a needful function in the community. The other twin, more militant, seeks the ballot for his people. There is conflict between the two objectives---education without civil rights, or civil rights without safety. The bolder twin is lynched. Only the mother saves the other from an act of violence that would have resulted in more lives lost on both sides of the racial family. But we see the beginnings of song in the girl the mother wants to be a singer.

FISK UNIVERSITY, Nashville: World War I:

The girl is a music student there, aided by the white family, and in love with a boy about to become a soldier. Decline of Negro appreciation for folk music and the demise of the Jubilee Singers is shown. But at this same time, a brother participates in the rise of jazz in New Orleans. When the two young people get together, there is a blending of classical and American music in an amusing scene, pseudo-serious, of conflict between the two musics---but indicating their eventual merger---as happens later in the story in Julliard School-cool chamber music jazz.

NEW YORK: After World War II:

Mississippi Negro girl in Manhattan, still linked to whites and blacks at home. Her rise as a singer. Her concert debut with Mississippi whites present in New York. White poverty makes it difficult for them to continue to aid her, but their jewels are sold in order to do so. Girl's debut at the Met. Big money enables the Negro girl to repay them in time to save the family from misfortune.

PLANE IN MID AIR: 1960

Two airports---New York and Mississippi. Swiftness of transportation between free association and the Jim Crow lines of the South, as the travellers separate at a Southern airport, but meet again in freedom in the family house where "the heart-road is the truest road of all."
The once compromise-school is accepting its first white students and the townsfolk of color have begun to register to vote: both twins are vindicated. To the singer comes a wire of invitation to sing at the White House. Out of the cotton fields a song, a school and a people united as one.

And they're like an army without banners, and they walks through
the hidden swamps, and they pays no mind to barricades, and they climbs
and months and generations, made out
over years, and time is a thin curtain/of mist, that does not matter. All
the guns that fire can't hold them back, for the road they travel is
the heart-road, ~~sometimes a secret singing road~~,~~ which has
the truest end.~~

NEW ORLEANS: 1860

A white family fallen on evil days, decide to migrate
inland up the river ~~The~~ rich cotton raising regions of
Mississippi, taking with them only their younger slaves.
An ancient grandmother, ~~free, but alone~~, wants to go with
her children belonging to this family. "Buy me and take me."
At a sacrifice, they take her.

The family prospers. Overseers runx plantation. Cotton breads
breeds cruelty. Grandmother sees grandson mistreated. Revolt
is planned, which she does not betray, ~~yet~~ at same time pro-
tects whites who have been kind to her. Pre-Civil-War bitterness
depicted, leading to the Conflict Between the North and South.
Romance between white youth and colored girl resutling in
twin boys---one becoming a sort of Booker T. Washington, the
other a sort of Frederick Douglass. Death of grandmother in
fire result of Union Army raid, attempting to save white
children she cares for. They are saved along with and by help
of her Negro grandmamá daughter.

NASHVILLE: Just after Civil War

This grand daughter, with aid of whites, goesx to Fisk and
becomes one of Fisk Jubilee Singers, who tour Europe eventually.
She returns to Mississippi plantation on visit and inspires
her child
girl cousin there to want/to be singer, too, Here begins

2

the Leontyne Price story, of a Mississippi Negro girl
aided by white family for whom her mother cooks to eventuall
become a star of the Metropolitan Opera.

## MISSISSIPPI VILLAGE: Early 1900s

One of twin boys has succeeded in erecting a school for
Negroes, built on the bricks of compromise, but serving a
needful function in the community. The other twin seeks the
vote for his people. Conflict between two objectives,
education without civil rights, civil rights without safety.
The bolder twin is lynched. Only the mother saves the other
from an act of violence that would have resulted in more
lives lost, on both sides of the family. The beginnings of
song in the girl mother wants to be a singer.

## FISK UNIVERSITY, Nashville: World War I:

Girl a music student there, aided by white family. Decline
of Negro appreciation for folk music, and demise of Jubilee
Singers. At same time, a brother participates in rise of
jazz in New Orleans. When two get together, there is a
blending of classical and American music in an amusing
scene, pseudo-serious, of conflict between two musics, but
indicating their eventually merger, as happens later in
Julliard School--cool chamber music jazz.

## NEW YORK: After World War II

Mississippi Negro girl in Manhattan, still linked to whites
and blacks at home. Her rise as a singer. Her concert
whites
debut with Mississippi/present. White poverty makes it
difficult for them to continue aid to her, but jewels are
sold to do so. Debut at Met. Big money enables Negro girl
to repay them in time to save family from misfortune.

## PLANE IN AIR; 1960

Two airports--New York and Mississippi. Swiftness of trans

3

situation between free association and Jim Crow lines of South, as the
travellers separate at Southern airport, but to meet again in
freedom in the family house where "the heart-road is the truest
road of all."

The once-compromised school is accepting its first white students
and the townsfolk/have begun to register to vote: both twins are
vindicated. And to the singer comes a wire of invitation to sing
at the White House during the Inaugural ceremonies of the President
elect. Out of the cotton fields a song, a school, a people becoming
turning into the reality of a
one, and a dream of a land of
citizens united, free and unfraid--for M the road they travel is
the heart-road."