Cooke felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and of those around him, and that pertained to the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans.

In 2007, the song was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress by the National Recording Registry, having been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

"[4] On October 8, 1963, en route to Shreveport, Louisiana, Cooke called ahead to the Holiday Inn North to make reservations for his wife, Barbara, and himself, but when he and his group arrived, the desk clerk glanced nervously and explained there were no vacancies.

[5] The New York Times ran a UPI report the next day, headlined "Negro Band Leader Held in Shreveport,"[6] but African-Americans were outraged.

[12] Photographic documentation and a personal conversation with Sam Cooke by Cecil J. Williams, a former JET magazine photographer, revealed that although Cooke's inspiration to write the lyrics to "A Change Is Gonna Come' may have resulted from multiple incidents, his earliest reference was to an incident at the Columbia Township Auditorium in February 1961— a time two years earlier than other references.

Cooke was referring to a heated discussion with the venue management and a plainclothes law enforcement officer about having to perform with black and white spectators being forced to comply with segregated facilities.

"[10] Cooke handed the song to his arranger René Hall, with no specific instructions as to what he personally wanted, but to give it "the kind of instrumentation and orchestration that it demanded.

[10] AFO drummer John Boudreaux was intimidated by the orchestral arrangement and refused to leave the control room; session player and close collaborator Earl Palmer was working next door and filled in for the song.

[15] Cooke also incorporated his personal experiences into the song, such as encounters in Memphis, Shreveport, and Birmingham, to reflect the lives and struggles of all African-Americans of the time.

'"[14] Cooke first performed "A Change Is Gonna Come" on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on February 7, 1964.

[17][18] Klein and Alexander both felt it would become a milestone moment in Cooke's career, but it was overshadowed by the Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS just two days later.

Cooke elected not to perform "A Change Is Gonna Come" again in his lifetime, both because of the complexity of the arrangement and because of the ominous nature of the song.

[10] In December, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was prepared for single release, with the verse and chorus preceding the bridge ("I go to the movies...") deleted for radio airplay.

"[21] "A Change Is Gonna Come" became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement, and is widely considered one of Cooke's greatest compositions.

In 2004, it was voted number 12 by representatives of the music industry and press in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The 5th Dimension covered it on their 1970 album Portrait, in a medley with the United States Declaration of Independence and People Got to Be Free, and released a popular single of the three songs.

A duet of the song by Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi was included in We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.

In Washington DC, in the days leading up to Obama's inauguration, this song could be heard playing constantly in the city center.

In the episode, called "A Change Is Gonna Come", James Taylor performs the song for President Jed Bartlet and other guests at a reception.

As Knowles performed, the screen behind her displayed photos of Detroit's landmarks and icons including Aretha Franklin, Aaliyah, Eminem, Anita Baker, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, the White Stripes, Berry Gordy Jr., Joe Louis.

[34][35][36] A spokesperson for the singer described the performance as a "unique tribute to the history of an incredible city and a celebration of the strong spirit of its people".

[37] Latifah Muhammad of the Black Entertainment Television wrote that Knowles' "powerful" rendition of the song came right on time.

[39] Jordan Sargent of Spin wrote, "It all might come off as a bit heavy-handed if it wasn't for the fact that, well, Beyonce absolutely slays the cover.

[42] In June 2020, a version of the song was recorded by Laurie Wright and Chris Faice with 100% of proceeds going to the Minnesota Freedom Fund.