Negro spirituals and their legacy in American culture 9 Articles

1 of 9

by Octavia Holland

I am a singer. I am a singer of African descent. I make sure that I feature the negro spirituals as a set in every recital performance that I do. I feel it is my responsibility to share this art with as many audiences a...read more

by Paul Ruth

Music as an art form can seemingly come from any place, at anytime, from anyone. The roots of modern music have grown deep into the American tradition. This tradition has been developed by artist from generation to generat...read more

by Greg Spinks

"Songs Is Powerful Things" Third and Holland Street is just north, a few thousand feet, from the bluffs overlooking Presque Isle Bay. To the south, by about the same distance, is Perry Square, a park named in honor of ...read more

by Renae Richardson

The Negro spiritual is a poetic outcry of the soul set to lyric. Each verse speaks of a refuge from hurt and oppression. Each song is an outcry for freedom. Lyrical rhythm and soul are wrapped in one stirring selection; ...read more

by Marcus Brooks

As transplanted Africans endured slavery, they used singing to cope with their physical, emotional and mental obstacles. On the plantations, Negroes toiled in cotton fields from sunrise to sunset. Intense heat and hard l...read more

by Nadine marie

The music of my ancestors tell us a story. Negro spirituals were mainly used as a way for slaves to communicate with each other in the fields. They resorted to this form of messages because they were forbidden to directly ...read more

by Morgan Johnson

Most of the modern music industry owes their style, rhythm and even their existence to the music of the Negro laborers. The White owners thought the singing helped the slaves to be more productive. In fact the singing w...read more

by Calista Stevens

The composers' names have been lost to history. But the African-American slaves who wrote black spirituals overcame incredible injustices to create the first truly indigenous form of American music. The spiritual mus...read more

by Cherryl Floyd-Miller

Throughout the course of American history, Negro spirituals have been as resonant as sound from an age-old drum. An outgrowth of the 18th century Negro enslaved population's unwavering faith in a higher power and a copi...read more