Hairston composed more than 300 spirituals, arranged “Amen ... was written by Robert MacGimsey, who was not African American but wanted the song to appear to have that origin.

Michael Robertson grew up singing church songs out of hymn books—classics like “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” and “Lord, I ...

Black people are spiritual beings, which contributes to our deep connection to gospel music. A 2021 Pew Research survey found ...

early African American music would become a unifying and driving force among America's slaves. Spirituals, as many of these songs came to be called, expressed faith in God, helped make work more ...

Describing the African-American influence on American music in all of its glory an d variety is an intimidating—if not impossible—task. African American influences are so fundamental to American music ...

Music played a key role in African American religious life. Hymns and spirituals, many written by black composers, accompanied preaching in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and other ...