<P> The song became associated with the Civil Rights Movement from 1959 , when Guy Carawan stepped in with his and Seeger 's version as song leader at Highlander , which was then focused on nonviolent civil rights activism . It quickly became the movement 's unofficial anthem . Seeger and other famous folksingers in the early 1960s , such as Joan Baez , sang the song at rallies , folk festivals , and concerts in the North and helped make it widely known . Since its rise to prominence , the song , and songs based on it , have been used in a variety of protests worldwide . </P>
who validated the civil rights movement by proclaiming we shall overcome
Guy Carawan