A protest song with a punch! This is a great song and a great listening activity. The discussion around it - written within an hour after the news of the atrocities at the time - was Simone's first protest song. Controversial at the time, the lyrics describe the anger of the time and what went before. As a listening activity and a class discussion about such themes as prejudice, racism, discrimination, there are few songs that encapsulate the feeling of rage, frustration and disillusionment