The Songs of Freedom: The Black Gospel Roots of Christian Music

The Songs of Freedom: The Black Gospel Roots of Christian Music

Catholic African American music icons Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte helped usher in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. (Photo: Digital Collections, The New York Public Library) While gospel music can be traced back to the early 17th century, black gospel music really took shape in the late 18th century, when slaves began converting to Christianity and proclaiming their faith through work music. Many timeless spirituals emerged from the Ame…