While slaves worked out in the cotton fields, they often were singing uplifting spirituals and hymns. Slavery, as one can imagine was not a pleasurable time period, or enjoyable to endure day after day. While out working in the cotton fields, spiritual and uplifting hymns would be sung by the slaves. This is how they got through each day, how they kept their spirits up, and how they stayed motivated. The power of these hymns is a considerable strength of this population. Crosby (n.d.) asserted that, “...oppressed people worldwide continue to use them (spiritual hymns) as protest and liberation songs”. When listening to a spiritual hymn, the resilience of their spirit is present, the yearning for a better life, and the desire for a closer relationship
