Pete Seeger
Quite the opposite of Guthrie, Pete Seeger was an idealist that emphasized peace and environmental issues in his songs. He also responded to America’s inequities, not by living an untethered personal life like Guthrie, but by organizing musical efforts.
When he returned from World War II, he co-organized a larger version of the Almanacs – People’s Songs. At its height in 1948 People’s Songs had roughly 2,000 members. Unfortunately, these efforts began to diminish when the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began ferreting out anyone in support of Communism, causing members to leave the group so that they would not be targeted.
Seeger himself was called to testify in front of the committee in 1955. While he certainly supported communist causes, he eschewed pleading the fifth amendment, instead invoking the first amendment and asking the committee what right they had to question his personal beliefs. Consequently, he was cited for contempt of congress, but the case fell apart after numerous delays and appeals.
Despite attempts to censor him, Seeger remained active until his death in 2014 and became involved with the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements and later environmental causes.