From the Blues to Hip-Hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic innovation for over a century. However, while musical styles come and go, —there is one sound that has been a constant source of strength, courage, and wisdom. It is a message that resounds from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday — one of good news in bad times.
And that is the Gospel.
Henry Louis Gates Jr’s., new four-part documentary series, GOSPEL digs deep into the origin story of Black gospel music that blended the sacred spirituals with the blues tradition and soared to new heights during the Great Migration.
For generations, gospel and preaching have been the foundation of the Black religious experience. From Jarena Lee to Shirley Caesar and C.L. Franklin to T.D Jakes, African American preachers have harnessed the language and lessons of the Hebrew Bible with astounding creativity to convey the complexity and beauty of the African American odyssey in the United States.
In the past century, gospel music has provided a soundtrack of healing and inspiration to those at the front lines of protest and change. The Sunday service at a Black church is a powerful synergy of the word and music — you cannot have one without the other. By giving equal focus to the history of Black religious music and preaching, the GOSPEL documentary series shows how deeply these dynamic oral traditions have shaped American popular culture and have reflected the abiding faith of a people.
Since the time of the sorrow songs, Black sacred music was a cathartic and confidential way to communicate the anger and frustration of living as a Black person in America. From history to the 21st century, gospel continues to evolve and remains a source of cultural affirmation and sustenance, bringing an enduring tradition into the future.
Premiering on PBS Feb. 12-13th, the series will examine preaching styles evolvement from the musical “whoopers,” to the slick TV-ready lectures of megachurch pastors. In addition, the documentary explores how class, gender, cultural innovations and consumer technologies — such as records, radio, television and the internet — shaped the development of Black preaching and gospel over the centuries.
The story is informed by a host of leading artists and performers, including Jekalyn Carr, Twinkie Clark, Donald Lawrence and Dionne Warwick and Notable preachers and theologians such as Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, Rev. Otis Moss III and U.S. Senator Rev. Raphael G. Warnock.
Through interviews, personal reflections and dynamic live performances, viewers will be immersed in the evolution of these uniquely African American art forms, learning the story of how African Americans found their voice and learned to sing in a strange land.
Click here to begin streaming episodes 1-4 now.
