African American Spiritual Beliefs

The Relevancy of African American Spirituals Have you ever heard a song that was performed by an African American choir group that you moved your spirit so much that you wanted to shout with praise? Chances are the song that stirred up your spirit was an African American spiritual. However, spirituals aren’t song much in this era. Instead negro spirituals have often been replaced by contemporary gospel music. Still, African American spirituals are still needed today because it was a form of protest, identified spiritual warfare, and gave a renewed hope for freedom. African American spirituals have been used as a form of protest during the time that Africans were brought over during the slave trade. “The African American spiritual (also …show more content…
Many slaves used this song to communicate that it was safe at a point to cross a river to freedom. Also the different beats of drums were used to communicate to the slaves from one plantation to one another. For instance, if slaves wanted to communicate a death of a slave on a plantation drums would be used to gather all of the slaves around to discuss burial services. Drums were also used to let others know that church was about to start. Even today in some of the African Methodist Episcopal Churches the bell is rung to let people in the community know that church is about to begin. Also, Baptist churches with a historically African American congregation, bells are rung in order to let people in the community know that Sunday school is about to start as well as morning worship. Even though these are not drums but instead bells, it still shows you how the same tradition of calling the community to worship in the African American community holds true today. Drums weren’t only used to call service to order but to also let people know that we plan on having a secret meeting to discuss issues at hand on the plantation. Issues could range from escaping to freedom, to secret marriage ceremonies, or to let the slaves know of different plans of the slave masters, so that the slaves could come up with a plan of their own. So spirituals were used as a form of protest to inform people what to do or where to …show more content…
Spirituals highlighted the way to freedom. Therefore, spirituals were used as a way to help slaves with the underground railroad. Songs such as the “Drinking Gourd” (See Playlist), referred to the big dipper, which if a slave followed it would lead them to the north for freedom. Or if people song, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (See Playlist), this would refer to the underground railroad, which was a code for people who were safe to trust during the journey to freedom. Also, songs such as, “Steal Away” (See Playlist), highlighted escaping to freedom soon. Therefore, any songs that discussed “Keeping the Eye on the Prize” (See Playlist) referred to freedom and that one day the slaves would all be free. There were also songs that discussed freedom through death. “Try’n to Get Ready” (See Playlist), is a song that refers to getting right with the Lord so that when they die as a slave they will be free when they make it to Heaven. It is a harsh reality but some slaves even considered or went through killing their children, or themselves in order to not endure the bitter life of slavery. This may come as a shock to some people, but if a person hasn’t had to endure the type of pain that comes with having to endure slavery, or being the descendant of a slave then that person shouldn’t be