HYDE PARK — When Mavis Staples was a young South Sider in the mid-’50s, she sat down with her father, sisters and brother to record “Uncloudy Day” — a track with vocals so powerful, some listeners were certain anyone but a young girl was on the mic, she said.
Staples shared a small fraction of the knowledge and experiences she’s gained in the 70 years since at a stirring University of Chicago performance Wednesday, aiming to inspire today’s young South Siders to join her in carrying forward the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement.
“We can’t save the world, but we help with some parts of it,” Staples told the audience after the concert. “I wonder sometimes, but I feel like I know that our music has done some good. It has changed some things.”
