At every church I’ve served, I always devote the month of February to African American Spirituals. These songs have a power that goes well beyond their beautiful melodies and poignant lyrics. They are songs of despair, protest, and hope from an enslaved people, and they are a stark reminder of an ugly chapter in our nation’s history.

Background

Spirituals are folksongs written by African American slaves in the southern United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. Slaves were forbidden to speak their native languages or practice their native religions. They were instead forced to convert to Christianity, partly as a way of teaching them to speak English, but also as a way of controlling their behavior. As slaves learned about the Bible, many noticed parallels between their situation and the history of the Jews, such as persecution, slavery, and the lack of a permanent home. Biblical stories, themes, and imagery became the main focus of Spirituals.

Slaves were also not allowed to own or use musical instruments, so Spirituals were sung a cappella (without accompaniment). And since most could not read or write, and weren’t familiar with musical notation, Spirituals existed originally as just improvised melodies taught to others by rote. The songs evolved as they spread geographically, with new singers adding verses or making refinements to the melodies.

Lyrics

Lyrics for Spirituals are almost always in first person, using the words I, me, and my. “I want Jesus to walk with me,” for example. This is somewhat unusual, since the writing of Spirituals was a collaborative rather than an individual effort. Even Spirituals that allude to the slavery and captivity of an entire race are written as very personal and individual statements. Eileen Guenther, author of In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals, writes that “This prevalence of ‘I’ affirms personhood, the slaves’ ability to exist in the face of destructive forces.”

Symbolism

Spirituals are full of rich and multilayered symbolism. In the Bible, the Jordan River was where the Israelites crossed over into the land that had been promised to them. In the Spiritual “Deep River,” the lyrics speak of symbolically crossing over the Jordan into the promised land of heaven, but the words were also probably a code designed to facilitate meetings or to help runaway slaves. The Jordan River is a symbol for the Ohio River, which divided free states from slave states and was a major route of the Underground Railway, helping slaves escape to the North.

Continue to Part 2!