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Now, y’all know I’m gonna tell you a story about our ancestors. It is with gratitude and a pride so deep in our ancestors who endured so much and in spite of their human condition, made a way out of no way. They kept these stories alive, by sharing their oral history within the spirituals. One such spiritual was Wade In The Water.

Wade In The Water is one of the spirituals that has many secret codes embedded within the song apart from the lyrics referencing the Christian tradition of baptism. Often the religious rite of sprinkling water onto a person’s forehead or of the immersion of a person’s body in water, or as the Bible tells the story of John the Baptist baptized people in the river it symbolizes purification and choosing to live your life in the Christian faith.

For the slaves in addition to their faith in God, secret codes were used in the spirituals to give guidance to the slave as he embarked on his journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad. The secret code in ‘Wade in the water, God’s gonna trouble the water’ for the slaves trying to escape from slavery on the Underground Railroad, meant to be aware that one of the methods used by the slave masters to track runaway slaves down was to send their bloodhounds out to track down the slave. So the lyrics were instruction for the runaway slave if they could hear the bloodhounds were close behind they needed to find a body of water and wade in water, because if you were in water the bloodhounds could no longer pick up their scent and the slave would be safe from the dogs tracking them down.

Also in the lyrics ‘See that band all dressed in red, looks like the band that Moses led’ -It is thought that the lyrics reference Harriet Tubman whose nickname was ‘Moses of her people’. Many of the spirituals lyrics have dual meanings in the songs and in this song Moses and Harriet Tubman’s names were interchangeable because Harriet like the story in the Bible where Moses led the slaves to freedom, Harriet did the same for the slaves in the 1800’s in America.

In the last verse of Wade in the Water the lyrics are: If you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed, follow me down to Jordan’s stream – In the Bible there are several references to the Jordan River, and what the Jordan River meant to the slaves here in America was the secret code name for the Ohio River. If the slave could get across the Ohio River he or she would be free.

Not only could the lyrics have instruction for the slave, it was also important to note the tone of the singer of the song. Both the lyrics and the tone in ‘if you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed’ was meant to be a dare or a challenge for you to face your fears because if you dared to cross the Ohio river you would be free or as the slaves put it you will be ‘redeemed’.

And with most spirituals including Wade in the Water you can sense that the slave is completely trusting God to deliver justice either now or in heaven and that they believed and found real hope in God’s promise that if ‘you ask it shall be given’. Enjoy!

After years of performances dedicated to honoring America’s multi-cultural heritage, focusing on my own cultural perspective of our slave brothers and sisters and the original music they created on American soil, we call African American spirituals, I felt I wasn’t doing enough. So I decided to do something about it. To neglect or forget what the slaves contributed to our nation was not acceptable to me. I am here because of them, because they endured and persevered. It took every person, slave and non-slave to come together to build this great country at the price of their own blood. One without the other may have had very different results. With nothing less than determination, love for my ancestors and faith, in 2006, I proposed to the US Congress that Twin Resolutions be drafted to honor the former slaves in America who helped build this country, but did not have a voice or formal citizenship, and recognize the African American Spirituals as a National Treasure. In February 2007 both House Resolution 120 and Senate Resolution 69 passed by unanimous vote to honor the slaves for their contributions to our nation with our deepest gratitude and respect and recognized the African American Spirituals as a National Treasure. Below are the Twin Resolutions passed in Congress in 2007.

2007 US CONGRESS HISTORIC TWIN RESOLUTIONS

“And in much the same spirit of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, I want to say thank you to a good friend, a musicologist himself, for bringing to my attention the need for the Congress to honor this vital piece of our National Heritage, Calvin Earl. Calvin has dedicated himself to preserving and sharing spirituals with a new generation of Americans. Traveling the country, he builds on the traditional words and melodies to illuminate the history and complexity of this unique art form. It was from Calvin that I learned about this remarkable tradition…..”–Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro

House Resolution 120
Recognizing the African American Spirituals as a National Treasure

H.RES.120 — Recognizing the African American spiritual as a national treasure. (Introduced in House – IH)

HRES 120 IH

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 120
Recognizing the African American spiritual as a national treasure.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 31, 2007
Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. EHLERS, Ms. CASTOR, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BERRY, Mr. ORTIZ, Ms. CARSON, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. RUSH, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. BOYD of Florida, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. HOLT, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. CLAY, Mr. COOPER, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. ROSS, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. SIRES, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. WYNN, and Mr. HONDA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the African American spiritual as a national treasure.
Whereas beginning in 1619, when slavery was introduced into the European colonies, enslaved Africans remained in bondage until 1865, when the United States ratified the 13th amendment to the Constitution;
Whereas during that period of the history of the United States, the first expression of that unique American music was created by enslaved African Americans who–
(1) used their knowledge of the English language and the Christian religious faith, as it had been taught to them in the New World; and
(2) stealthily wove within the music their experience of coping with human servitude and their strong desire to be free;
Whereas, as a method of survival, enslaved African Americans who were forbidden to speak their native languages, play musical instruments they had used in Africa, or practice their traditional religious beliefs, relied on their strong African oral tradition of songs, stories, proverbs, and historical accounts to create this original music, now known as spirituals;
Whereas Calvin Earl, a noted performer and educator on African American spirituals, remarked that the Christian lyrics became a metaphor for freedom from slavery, a secret way for slaves to `communicate with each other, teach their children, record their history, and heal their pain’;
Whereas the New Jersey Historical Commission found that `some of those daring and artful runaway slaves who entered New Jersey by way of the Underground Railroad no doubt sang the words of old Negro spirituals like `Steal Away’ before embarking on their perilous journey north’;
Whereas African American spirituals spread all over the United States, and the songs we know of today may only represent a small portion of the total number of spirituals that once existed;
Whereas Frederick Douglass, a fugitive slave who would become one of the leading abolitionists of the United States, remarked that the spirituals `told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. …’; and
Whereas the American Folklife Preservation Act (Public Law 94-201; 20 U.S.C. 2101 note) finds that `the diversity inherent in American folklife has contributed greatly to the cultural richness of the nation and has fostered a sense of individuality and identity among the American people’: Now, therefore, be it

• Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

◦ (1) recognizes that African American spirituals are a poignant and powerful genre of music that have become one of the most significant segments of American music in existence;

◦ (2) expresses the deepest gratitude, recognition, and honor to the former enslaved Africans in the United States for their gifts to our Nation, including their original music and oral history; and

◦ (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation that reflects on the important contribution of African American spirituals to American history, and naming the African American spiritual a national treasure.

Senator Robert Menendez (NJ) Sponsor S RES 69- Recognizing the African American Spiritual as a National Treasure

“Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution honoring the African American Spiritual as a national treasure…. I am very proud to sponsor this resolution and grateful to the individuals who helped make this landmark occasion possible. In particular, I would like to thank Calvin Earl, a New Jersey native, who is a noted performer and educator on African American spirituals for his vision and dedication in helping make this resolution a reality.”– Senator Robert Menendez

Senate Resolution 69
Recognizing the African American Spirituals as a National Treasure

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 69
Recognizing the African-American spiritual as a national treasure.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 5, 2007
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. REID, Mr. COBURN, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mrs. DOLE, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. LAUTENBERG, and Mr. KENNEDY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the African-American spiritual as a national treasure.
Whereas since slavery was introduced into the European colonies in 1619, enslaved Africans remained in bondage until the United States ratified the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1865;
Whereas during that period in the history of the United States, the first expression of a unique American music was created by enslaved African-Americans who–
(1) used their knowledge of the English language and the Christian religious faith, as it had been taught to them in the New World; and
(2) stealthily wove within the music their experience of coping with human servitude and their strong desire to be free;
Whereas as a method of survival, enslaved African-Americans who were forbidden to speak their native languages, play musical instruments they had used in Africa, or practice their traditional religious beliefs, relied on their strong African oral tradition of songs, stories, proverbs, and historical accounts to create an original genre of music, now known as spirituals;
Whereas Calvin Earl, a noted performer of, and educator on, African-American spirituals, remarked that the Christian lyrics became a metaphor for freedom from slavery, a secret way for slaves to `communicate with each other, teach their children, record their history, and heal their pain’;
Whereas the New Jersey Historical Commission found that `some of those daring and artful runaway slaves who entered New Jersey by way of the Underground Railroad no doubt sang the words of old Negro spirituals like `Steal Away’ before embarking on their perilous journey north’;
Whereas African-American spirituals spread all over the United States, and the songs we know of today may represent only a small portion of the total number of spirituals that once existed;
Whereas Frederick Douglass, a fugitive slave who would become one of the leading abolitionists in the United States, remarked that spirituals `told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains.’; and
Whereas section 2(a)(1) of the American Folklife Preservation Act (20 U.S.C. 2101(a)(1)) states that `the diversity inherent in American folklife has contributed greatly to the cultural richness of the Nation and has fostered a sense of individuality and identity among the American people’: Now, therefore, be it

• Resolved, That the Senate–

◦ (1) recognizes that African-American spirituals are a poignant and powerful genre of music that have become one of the most significant segments of American music in existence;

◦ (2) expresses the deepest gratitude, recognition, and honor to the former enslaved Africans in the United States for their gifts to the Nation, including their original music and oral history; and

◦ (3) encourages the people of the United States to reflect on the important contribution of African-American spirituals to United States history and to recognize the African-American spiritual as a national treasure.

America’s cultural heritage and musical arts are deeply rooted and connected to the black spirituals which were created in the cotton fields of the Old South by slaves. During slavery the spirituals helped the slaves secretly communicate routes on the UGRR, heal their pain and record their history among many other things. But today I want to discuss why there has been so much confusion and misunderstanding of the black spirituals themselves. In my view, there are two simple, deeply heartfelt and life changing events that took place in American history that continue to cause misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the facts surrounding the spirituals. The first event began with the emancipation of the slaves in 1865 followed a few years later by Fisk University with the formation of the Jubilee Singers by the university treasurer George White, as a last ditch effort to save the university from financial ruin and to keep the university from shutting its doors.

The first event that changed the spirituals was the Emancipation Proclamation becoming the law of the land in 1865. Now freed men and women leaving the oppression of slavery behind, the slaves simply wanted to rid themselves of anything that reminded them of slavery and that included the spirituals. No one can fault them for that. But because of that, the spirituals began to be sung less and less and with less religious overtone, less secrecy, and less expression of the individual human spirit needing to tell his or her story, the spirituals began to slip away. The music began to transform itself into legitimate musical art forms we now call jazz and blues.

Secondly, several years after the emancipation of the slaves the spirituals would come back alive and become world renown. Now that the slaves were free, they were forced to find jobs to make a living for themselves. Many migrated North to find jobs, get an education and many stayed in the South as sharecroppers doing the work they had done for years. In Nashville, TN there was now a university where black students could attend to get an education. Fisk University was a fine institution, only it lacked funds and was in a dire financial situation, it was facing closure due to the lack of funding for the school. In an attempt to save the university, George White, the universities treasurer, a white man, a lover of music and a Yankee desperately needed to raise funds. So he put a group of 9 (7 former slaves and 2 free blacks) together to form a choir that he hoped to take on the road to make money for the university. Mr. White appointed Ella Shepherd (a former slave herself) as music arranger and choir director for the tour group known as the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The choir began to sing in small towns across the South. The music venue Mr. White chose for the Jubilee Singers was a collection of European melodies and songs written by George White. In a word, they bombed, and barely made enough money to get to the next town. However, one day as exhaustion, hunger and longing to go home had set in for the singers, they sang a spiritual just to comfort themselves but when the audience heard it, that changed everything, finally people wanted to listen. It was in that moment the spirituals would be changed forever, because in order to sing the spirituals in a choir, it would forever change the dynamics of the spirituals original intent and sound. The spirituals for the slaves were secret and to take them out of context and present them in a choir had never been done. The responsibility of including spirituals in the genre fell squarely on the shoulders of Ella Shepard. Ella painstakingly and with great trepidation and deep concern for the integrity and secrecy of the spirituals and her concern that the change might dishonor the slaves who created these songs, finally made the decision to transform the spirituals into a choir format in order to save the university. What was needed now, she felt, was saving the university. It was necessary and the only way to give opportunities to former slaves to acquire an education, so they could better equip themselves to become productive and prosperous citizens.

It is a fascinating story and one history owes a deep amount of gratitude to these singers. For had it not been for Ella Shepherd and the Jubilee singers the spirituals might have been lost forever. Ella Shepherd’s story and the story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers is a profoundly important one in American history.

Today in America there are only a handful of us who continue to sing the spirituals in their original form and intent, and mostly the spirituals are arranged in the choir format similar to the Fisk Singers and sung in the European operatic style with accompaniment /orchestra not performed or preserved with the original intent or sound.

The spirituals have been part of my life as far back as I can remember. I always loved the way the spirituals made me feel. They gave me hope and comfort, they still do today. I remember when I was very little about 3 or 4 years old, going into the cotton fields with my family and riding on the back of their cotton bags as my family and the other workers picked the cotton. I would nestle my body into the fluffiest part of the cotton bag as they dragged their bags behind them up and down the rows. I laid on my back on that soft bag and looked up at the white clouds in the sky without a care in the world. Many times the warmth of the sun and gentle movement of the bag would cause me to fall asleep as I listened to their beautiful and rhythmic voices singing a spiritual as they pulled their fluffy bags of cotton row by row. Then other times I would notice as they pulled me down the row, they had missed a stalk that still needed to be picked. I always liked to be helpful, so I would jump off the bag and pick the cotton they had missed putting it into their bag smiling from ear to ear as they affectionately thanked me for my help. Then I’d hop back on the bag and happily ride down the row snuggled comfortably on my warm bag. It had never occurred to me that the reason they missed the stock of cotton was to rest a while from the weight of my body riding on their bag. Not even once did anyone show their discomfort from my weight or the weight of their bag. They only showed “baby calvin”, that’s what they called me, that I was loved and appreciated.

Which reminds me of the old work-day spiritual they use to sing in the fields: “Keep Your Hands On the Plow, Hold On” This song was considered a “workday” song because many slaves sang it in the fields as a way to keep a rhythmic pace to ease the pain of the backbreaking work of picking cotton, priming tobacco, and planting crops. It helped them get through their work day in the sweltering Southern summer heat.

In this song the lyrics have a dual meaning and secret code. “Keep your hands on the plow” the word plow meant freedom. For the slaves this song gave them hope that one day they would be free. All they needed to do was have faith and focus. They also really related to and understood the Biblical stories of Moses leading the slaves to freedom. Moses lead the slaves out of bondage by having faith in God. So for the slaves, they believed if they had faith in God, that God would deliver them from bondage too.

Keep Your Hands On The Plow, Hold On – became known as a freedom song during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The name of the song became “Keep Your Eyes On The Prize”, and the lyrics changed to reflect the times but the melody of the song remained similar to the original spiritual sound. The principle purpose of the song stayed the same as well, only instead of the slaves fighting for freedom and the end slavery, the song now reflected that the freed slaves and their decedents were now fighting to end segregation, and the removal of the discriminating unjust and oppressive Jim Crow laws that became the law of the land during and after Reconstruction. It was now a time to fight for Civil Rights and establish voting rights for every citizen. This spiritual song truly represents the spirit of our diverse American cultural and our unstoppable determination to get it right for all of us. This song also reminds us we still have work to do.

We need to add the American spirituals to the list of what truly describes Americana: Baseball, Chevrolet, Apple Pie and the Spirituals!