In 2008, the late Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, TX, introduced an official resolution that was passed by the U.S. Congress, designating September as Gospel Music Heritage Month.
The passage of this resolution each year, has marked a significant milestone in the recognition of Gospel music’s influence on American culture.
Gospel music’s roots reach back to the rich soil of Mother Africa, where music expressed the beautiful arc that began at birth and culminated in the great beyond. Music was spiritual, rhythmic and free. It mirrored life.
Beginning in the 1500s and extending through the 1800s, millions of ancestors were captured and plucked from their families and villages and forced through the horrendous Middle Passage. This treacherous journey afforded little opportunity to transport possessions, one of the few cargos they carried was the music inside their hearts.
Once in the New World, enslaved and tortured, music became a spiritual balm in the strange, unfriendly land. Field hollers, arbor brush chants and spirituals were the accompaniments to life for generations of Africans in America.
Emancipation was proclaimed in 1863, and over the next century, African slave descendants evolved into proud Black Americans. Their music evolved as well. Stylings of jubilees and hymns in worship settings, and blues, ragtime, and jazz in non-religious settings featured a gumbo-like mixture of resilient voices and instrumental creativity. It was a delicious smash-up of struggle, freedom, pain, passion, and pleasure.
Today, gospel music and mainstream music are first cousins. It doesn’t matter who’s the oldest, we come from the same lineage, and we all sit at the table together. We are family.
On behalf of the Gospel Industry Coalition. which represents leaders in the gospel music community, we invite you to join us in celebration of gospel music this month! We are better together! So we urge every musician, artist, author, preacher, rapper, radio personality, or other creative who is part of (or related to) the gospel family in any way, shape, or form, to download, share, tweet, sing or play a gospel song this month! Thank you in advance for the joy, hope and especially the love that you will share! And “Thank you” for helping us be great!
Enjoy and Celebrate!…this is GOSPEL MUSIC HERITAGE MONTH!
Gospel Industry Coalition
Dr. Teresa Hairston Jackson, President
Don Jackson, Vice President
Chris Capehart, 2nd Vice President
Tara Griggs-Magee, 3rd Vice President
Bryant Scott, Treasurer
Damien Sneed, Secretary
Charles Johnson, Parliamentarian
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